Mockingbird
by Blueking141
Summary: Edward and Bella are soul mates and have known each other their whole lives. Bella begins to develop some serious problems, and Edward will try everything in his power to help her. But how will it effect their children and their marriage?
1. Prologue

_Now hush little baby, don't you cry  
__Everything's gonna be alright  
__Stiffen that upper lip up little lady, I told ya  
__Daddy's here to hold ya through the night  
__I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why  
__We feel how we feel inside  
__It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby  
__But I promise momma's gon' be alright  
__**Mockingbird, by Eminem**_

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**Prologue: March 15, 2010**

I ran.

I ran faster than I think I ever had in my entire life. I would have taken my car if the fucking thing wasn't parked 10 minutes from the front of this stupid office. I truly regretting taking this job now just for that reason.

I ran hard, and I could hear each labored breath that came out through my dried up lips. It was cold today. I couldn't really feel it though. I just need to get there. I knew this was a possibility, but I always thought that it could never happen to her. To me. To us. To my family.

I finally arrive to the place where my whole family currently is. A hospital. I really fucking hate hospitals. I never ever wanted to come in one of these places ever since that day so many years ago. That is why Bella had a home birth for me. Two times.

I hesitate at the front door of the hospital, and feel like I could throw up. Thousands of images flash through my mind, and they are all from that night. I feel like I shouldn't remember that anymore. It is in the past. This is the present. This is the present, and my wife needs me. My children need me. I've already failed them enough.

I take deep breath and push every bad thought from my mind. Just think about Bella's face, Edward. Just think about your beautiful children's face. Think about how scared they must be right now. That is your fault. Go fix it.

I walk into the hospital and walk straight to the front desk. My mind is focused on my family and nothing else…for now.

I approach the desk and the woman behind it looks like she would rather be anywhere but here right now. Don't we all.

"I need to know the room number for Isabella Cullen." I tell the woman, and she has the nerve to roll her eyes at me. What the fuck?

"And are you related?" She asks and pops her gum.

"I am her husband." I tried to stay as calm as I could. There is no need to just flip out on this woman.

"Room 315." She says and I run to the elevators and make my way to the third floor. I keep my eyes closed and my mind focused the whole time. I need to hold it together.

The doors open and I make my way to Bella's room. I stopped dead in my tracks, however, when I heard two of the most beautiful voices calling my name as I was passing the waiting room.

"Daddy!" I heard my little boy and little girl yell after me. I look behind me, and see Liam and Peyton staring at me with raw fear in their eyes. I feel my heart explode with pain, and I walk back over to my children.

I squat down in front of them, and they both latch onto my neck and start crying. I feel my head clear up, and my mind ease as I hold my children in my arms. Things aren't perfect though, when I know my love is just down the hall, probably in pain. I turn my head and kiss each of theirs.

It feels good to have them both in my arms, but it felt especially good to have Liam in my arms. Even though he declared that he hated me and wished I wasn't his father, it was still good to know that deep down, he didn't really mean it, and he still will come to me when he is feeling scared.

"Shh, you guys, please stop crying." I plead with them. My heart couldn't take their tears. It reminded me of their pain, and what they just witnessed.

"Daddy, Mommy was shaking. She was shaking a lot." I heard my little girl tell me and I held onto her tighter. I didn't have a chance to respond, because a commotion came from down the hall and caused me to look up. I saw Emmett make his way toward with murder in his eyes.

"You filthy son of a bitch." He said as he approached me with his hands clenched at his sides. I saw my Dad walk out in between the both of us, and hold Emmett back, but Emmett fought against him.

I held on tighter to my children. "Not in front of them, Emmett. Please." I said as I looked him dead in the eye. I knew he hated me right now, and I deserved anything he wanted to do to me. But I also knew he loved my children and wouldn't want to hurt them. I saw him look at both of them and then calm down a little.

I looked off to my right and saw my Mom was looking on at the scene with her hand over her mouth, and tears running down her face. "Mom." I said and my voice cracked. "Can you take them down to get a snack at the vending machine, or something." I asked.

"No, Dad. Please stay with us." I heard Liam ask and my throat began to burn as I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat. I want so bad to have them stay with me, but I also didn't want them to see their Uncle yell at their father.

"I need to talk to Uncle Emmett, and go see your Mom and then I will be right back, alright buddy?" I asked and pushed his hair out of his face. "I love you, Liam. I need you to know that okay? I know that I have made a lot of mistakes, but I love you and your sister more than anything."

Peyton lifted her head from my shoulder and kissed my cheek. "We love you too, Daddy." My little girl told me. "Right, Liam?" She said and looked over at my son.

He stared at me, contemplating. "Yeah. I love you, Dad." He said and I felt a wave of warmth pass through my heart. It has been too long since I have heard those words from my son.

"Okay, so I will see you both later, okay? Just go with Nana." I said and they both nodded before walking out with my Mom. I looked after them, and when they were out of site, I felt large hands grab my collar and slam me against the wall.

"How many times did I tell you this was going to happen?" He asked rhetorically, and I tried to look anywhere but in his eyes. He slammed me back on the wall, and a sharp pain went to my head. "How many times!" He screamed in my face.

"Emmett, you really shouldn't be doing this." Carlisle said from my side. I wanted to tell him to not worry about it. I wanted to tell him I deserve this. I deserve to be yelled at. I deserve to be put down. I deserve for him to hit me. I deserve so much worse than any of that. I did this to them. I allowed this to happen.

Emmett looked at me fiercely, and then finally let go of me. "You are right; he is not worth my voice or my strength. But I am going to tell you something right fucking now, Edward. You better do something about this. Grow a fucking pair and do something!" He screamed and his face got redder. "Or I swear to God, Edward. I will find a way to make sure those kids are away from the both of you." He said and then turned around and left.

I knew he was right. I needed to do something this time. Not little things. I need to do something big. I need to change my methods. All of the other ways I have tried have been wrong.

My Dad tried to say something to me, but I stopped him. "Can I just go see her, Dad? Please just let me see her." I plead with him. He must have noticed the desperation in my eyes and then led me to her room.

He patted me on the back at the door, and then I opened the door. I looked over at my beautiful wife. I walked closer to her and grabbed her small hand in mine. She looked pale and as sick as ever. It killed me to see her like this. She has always been so strong. My savior. My love.

"Why did you have to do this to us, my love?" I asked and the tears finally started falling down my cheeks. "I have tried so damn hard for us, baby. Why couldn't you just help me?" I held her hand close to my heart that was breaking below her palm. "I love you so much, Bella. I just wish it was enough. I wish it was enough to fix you. There is nothing in this world that I want more."

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**This is only the prologue and this will take place later in the story. Please tell me what you think so I know if I should continue writing or not. Review Please! **


	2. Chapter 1: Truly Happy

**-IMPORTANT!—**

**Okay so here are some things you need to know before reading:**

**1.) I am in no way an expert on alcoholism, but I do the research. So if I make a mistake for some reason, please don't yell at me. **

**2.) My plan is to have the whole story in Edward's POV, but I may switch to Bella's or someone else's if I find it necessary. I will always tell when I switch though so it's not that big of a deal. **

**3.) There will be a lot of time jumps, and you should pay attention to the dates on the beginning of each chapter. **

**4.) Every chapter will have a flashback from Edward and Bella's past. All of them will be switched to third person POV. These flashbacks will be labeled accordingly, so you shouldn't get too confused. **

**5.) Finally, I really like reviews. So if you are feeling generous, just give me a little review. I love to hear what you all have to say whether it be good or bad. I am sure if there are other writers reading this right now, they understand how much one review means to them. So please just do me a favor, and review if you are reading. **

**Alright enough of that. This is the first chapter and I hope you all like it!**

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_**Chapter 1: Truly Happy  
January 13, 2002**_

EPOV

"Isn't he just the most beautiful thing you have ever laid eyes on?" My love asked from her spot beside me. We were both sitting on our bed, and she was holding our newborn son. I had my arm wrapped around her, and my other hand playing with my son's small fingers.

"He really is." I said as I kept looking at this beautiful creature that was created with mine and Bella's undying love. He was just born about five hours ago, and he was already the center of my world. Right along with his beautiful mother that I have loved my whole life.

Bella gave birth to him in the bathtub of our home. She did it for me. Ever since that day, I have not been able to step foot in a hospital without either breaking down in tears or having a panic attack. Bella has tried to help me in any way she can to get over that fear, but it never works. So in order for me to see my first child's birth, Bella decided to have a home birth. Thankfully everything went well and we were greatly rewarded with this precious gift.

"Well I really don't want to call him 'it' for the rest of his life." She said and looked up at me with her big brown eyes. I laughed because we never were able to think of a name for our child. We never found out the sex, so we figured we would figure it out when we saw our baby.

"Why not? It is a nice name." I teased and kissed the side of her head.

"It is isn't it? It Cullen. That is very unique." She said sarcastically and laughed. I laughed along with her.

"Yeah, I guess not." I said and continued to play with my son's hand. He was sleeping peacefully, but he would still grip my index finger with his little fist. He was strong. "You know I have a name that I have always liked for a boy." I said quietly.

"Really? Well what is it, baby?" she asked.

"Liam." I said simply. It sounded like a strong name and it has a nice meaning. The name Liam means 'determined guardian'.

"That's the one, Edward. That is this little boy's name. He looks just like a Liam, doesn't he?" She asked.

"I think so."

"Then it is settled then. This is our son, Liam." She said and looked at me and I bent down to kiss her perfect lips. "I think I have a perfect idea for a middle name." She stated and went back to looking down at Liam.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Edward." She said simply. "I think it would be very fitting for this strong boy to be named after his amazing and wonderful father." I felt my heart swell with pride just thinking about my son having my name.

"Are you sure? I thought Edward was a stupid name." I teased and kept my eyes on my boy and could hear Bella let out a small laugh. It was like I was under a spell. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. I felt if I looked away, I would look back and he wouldn't be there. This felt just like a dream.

"Oh shut up, of course I am sure, Edward. I love you, and I think it would be perfect for our son to be named after you." She said sincerely and looked up me again. I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you too, Bella." I said and she smiled and looked back down to our son.

"Do you know when everyone is going to be here? I can't wait to finally introduce our son to someone." She said excitedly.

"Go ahead. You can practice on me." I smiled. "Introduce me to our first child."

She smiled and held on tighter to Liam and scooted out from my arms. I sat up further on the bed, and she got to her knees and still held Liam close to her chest. She shifted him, and held him with one hand on the back of his little head, and the other on his bottom. She held him out to me so he was facing me. He was still sleeping, but he began to squirm a little and move his arms around because of the new movement.

"Edward, my handsome husband." She started, and still had her smile on her face. It was good to see her like this. To see her happy by her own account, and not an artificial happiness that comes from the inside of a bottle. I really hope Liam can change things for her. "I would like to introduce you to the most beautiful little boy on this planet. My son. Your son. Our son, Liam Edward Cullen." She said and then handed him over to me.

I laughed and took my son into my arms. This wasn't my first time holding him, but it didn't stop the warm and comfortable feeling I got in my chest when he cuddled himself closer to me. He squirmed a little, but then just sighed and relaxed in my arms and fell back asleep. "He is amazing Bella." I said sincerely and she laughed.

"I know!" She squealed and the smile still remained on her face. I wish I could freeze this moment forever. I want her to always be this happy, this is the kind of happiness I work so hard to try and keep with her. I heard the door bell ring. "I will get it!" She said and then got up from the bed and walked toward the door.

"No, Bella let me go." I said and got up from the bed.

"Why? I am already right here." She said.

I walked up to her and placed Liam in her arms. "Love, you just gave birth five hours ago, I know you are feeling good, but just let me go get the door." I said and she nodded her head and gave me a chaste kiss on my lips.

I made my way down the stairs, and went to open the door. I was met with the smiling faces of our family and friends.

First was my Mom and Dad; Esme and Carlisle Cullen. My Mom jumped and wrapped her arms around my neck tightly and squealed a squeal that could challenge Alice's. Like mother like daughter I guess. "Where is my grandchild?" She asked while looking over my shoulder.

I smiled. "He is upstairs in our room with Bella."

She let go of me and then went to run up the stairs. My Dad gave me a quick hug and then went upstairs after my mother. My sister Alice just gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before running upstairs to go see Liam. Then my brother's girlfriend, Rosalie, did the same as Alice and ran to go see my boy. Alice's husband, Jasper patted my back before following after them.

Last was my big brother Emmett. Him and Bella were close when they were younger, and he was friends with her before all of us were. He had a concerned look on his face. I knew what he was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. He walked in the house, and we both stood awkwardly in front of the door.

"So um, where are the kids?" I asked, I was talking about my niece, Emma, and nephew, Nickolas. Emma was four, and Nick was two.

"They are with Rose's parents." He answered. "How is Bella?"

"She is great, I mean she just gave birth to our son. She is happy."

"How long do you think it will last?" He said bluntly and I got mad.

I brought my hands to my hair and pulled on it gently. "Why do you have to do this now, Emmett?" I said through my clenched teeth.

"Because I know you, Edward. You are going to see how happy she is now, and think that she is miraculously changed."

"Well what if she is?" I said hopefully. "She went the whole time she was pregnant without having a single sip."

"Yeah, because Bella loves her child, and wouldn't intentionally hurt it. But now, she has no reason to continue not drinking."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, Emmett? She has Liam and she has me."

"She has always had you, and you obviously aren't enough to make her stop." He snapped.

"But she has Liam! She loves him Emmett."

"And she loves you." He said as if he was making a point.

"Yeah, but she loves Liam more, he is her son. She will change after this. She won't ever intentionally hurt him, Emmett." I said frantically. I wanted to believe my words, but I don't know if I could.

"I know she wouldn't, but she is sick, Edward. Alcoholism isn't really something she can control unless she gets professional help."

"We already tried that Emmett." I snapped and I was really getting mad. I feel like any time I talk to my brother now, is when he is telling me what a horrible husband I am.

"Then try again!" He said loudly. I threw my hands up and walked past him to the stairs.

"I don't need to hear this shit from you anymore Emmett." I said and practically ran upstairs so I could get away from him, and to my family. I opened the door to the bedroom and saw my Mom was sitting on the bed along with Bella, and holding my son. No one heard me come in because they were too occupied with looking at mine and Bella's miracle.

My eyes however, were trained on my wife. She had the smile on her face that I fell in love with the first moment I saw her…

_~Flashback~_

_A five year old Edward walked with his parents to the front door of his aunt and uncle's house. Edward only met his aunt and uncle a couple of times, but now him and his parents moved to Forks after his father got laid off on his job. _

_Edward's mother turned Edward so he was facing her, and tried to smooth down his always messy hair. "Okay Edward, you really need to behave alright?" Edward was a good boy, but he also liked to start his own mischief. _

"_Yes, Mom." He said and she smiled and kissed his head. Edward's father rang the doorbell and they waited for someone to answer the door. A couple of seconds later, a pretty woman with caramel colored hair answered the door. Edward noticed how she looked a lot like his Mom, which made sense since they were sisters. _

"_Elizabeth!" She said excitedly, and Edward watched as she hugged his Mom tightly. His aunt Esme then went to hug Edward's father before bringing her attention down to Edward. "Oh my, you really are a handsome little guy, aren't you?" She said and grabbed him in for a hug. _

"_You are very pretty, too." He said sweetly, and Esme melted on her spot and kissed his cheek. _

"_Come on inside, Emmett and Alice are outside on the trampoline, they have their little friend over, I am sure you all could have a lot of fun." She said and waved us inside. _

"_Is Carlisle home?" Edward's father, Edward Sr., asked. _

"_Oh not yet, he had some extra rounds at the hospital, but he should be home soon." She said and guided them to the back door. Edward looked out the back screened door curiously. He saw what he guessed was his cousins jumping on a trampoline. He only met them a couple of times, but he has seen a lot of pictures. He noticed Emmett right away, he was the biggest person on the trampoline, being eight years old. Then he noticed his other cousin, Alice, because she was the smallest, she was one year younger than Edward. _

_Finally, his eyes rested on another little girl who was jumping along with them. Edward noticed how pretty she was. She had a wide smile with one of her front teeth missing. "Can I go play with them?" Edward asked his aunt. _

"_Just one second, honey. I am just going to call them in so they can say hi to your parents, and then you can all go outside and play." She said with a smile, and then called all three of the children in. Edward watched as Alice and Emmett were the first ones to get off of the netted trampoline and the other little girl came off last. Edward looked after her and watched as she fell off of the side of the trampoline. _

_No one else noticed except for Edward, and he ran out the door faster than anyone could notice he was gone. He ran over to the little girl who was lying on the floor. He kneeled down next to her. "Are you okay?" He asked and the little girl looked up at him, and Edward was surprised she was laughing. _

"_Yup! I fall all the time." She said and continued to look at Edward. "You have pretty eyes." _

"_Thanks, yours are pretty too." He said._

_She blushed. "What is your name?" She asked as she got into the sitting position. _

"_Edward." _

_She snorted. "That is a stupid name." _

"_Hey! My name is not stupid." He said offended. _

"_Yes it is, Edward." She said and got up to her feet. _

"_Well what is your name then?" He asked and started walking after her as she walked to the steps. _

"_Bella." She said over her shoulder with her pretty smile on her face. _

"_Well I don't think your name is stupid, so why would you say that about mine?" He asked and Bella stopped walking and faced him. _

"_I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings?" She asked and bit her lip. _

"_A little bit." He said. _

_Bella closed the distance between her and Edward and kissed his cheek, causing Edward to blush. "I'm sorry, don't worry, I will be your friend forever if you won't be mad at me." _

_Edward was still shocked that a girl kissed his cheek. All of his friends back home said to never touch girls, because they have cooties, but Edward didn't think Bella had cooties. "Okay, but just as long as you will be my friend forever." He said._

"_Okay!" She said and smiled the pretty smile that little Edward loved. _

_~End Flashback~_

I smiled at the memory, and continued to look on at my family. Finally, Bella looked at me in the doorway, and her beautiful smile grew bigger, and her eyes lit up. I felt a tug on my heart thinking about how good she made me felt, by just looking at me that way. She got up from the bed as my Mom handed Liam over to Alice.

Bella walked up to me, and wrapped her arms around my middle and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and rested my head on top of hers. "Hey, baby." She said against my chest.

"Hello, love."

"I think Liam already has all of them wrapped around his little finger." She said with a small laugh, and I laughed with her.

"I think so, too." I said and rubbed my hand up and down her back. I have had my Bella like this for nine months now, and there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind that was telling me she may not stay this way. I wish I could just hold her here in my arms forever, and wish she will never have the urge to go back to the alcohol. I don't want to lose my Bella again.

"You wanna know something, Edward?" She asked softly.

"What, Bella?" I asked and kissed the top of her head.

"I am so happy that he is going to have a big family. I am glad that he will always have your family there for him."

"They are your family, too."

"Yeah, but you know what I mean. At least we know that no matter what, our son will always have someone who loves him." I knew what she was alluding to.

"Bella, you have always had someone who loved you. I have always loved you." I said and grabbed her face with both of my hands and made her look at me.

"I know you have, and I love you, too." She said and traced my face with her fingers, causing my eyes to flutter closed. "God, I love you so much." She whispered and kissed my lips quickly and hugged me again. I hugged her close, and prayed to any God that would listen, to keep my Bella like this.

We were interrupted when we heard the loud cry of Liam. "I think someone is hungry." My Dad said while rocking a crying Liam in his arms.

"Why don't you go hold him, and I will go get his bottle." Bella said with a sparkle in her eye.

"Okay." I said and kissed her on the lips once before she went out the door. All of the girls followed after her, and I walked up to my Dad to grab my son, and try to ease his cries. I held him against my chest, with one hand supporting his head, and the other under his bottom. I started lightly bouncing with him and his cries quieted down, but he was still fussing.

"How is Bella, son?" My Dad asked.

"She is fine, you just saw her."

"That was not what I meant."

"Fuck, is that all you people want to talk to me about?" I asked in a slightly raised voice. Liam began to cry louder, so I just bounced him more and kissed the top of his head. I lowered my voice, but I kept my voice firm. "If you are asking me if Bella is once again drinking. The answer is no."

"Did you ever think about asking her if she will join therapy or something? So she doesn't start again?" Jasper asked and I really just wanted them to drop it.

"No, sorry I didn't get around to upsetting my wife, by asking her to join therapy, just six hours after our son was born." I snapped at them.

"Are you going to?" Emmett asked and I just looked down at my crying son, and tried ignoring them. "You know you have to Edward. It was a good sign that she was able to not drink while she was pregnant, but being a parent is stressful, and the littlest thing can make her snap and go back to drinking. Is that what you want, Edward?" Emmett asked.

"Of course not." I said, offended that he would even ask that question.

"Then you need to at least talk to her about it." Emmett said.

I really didn't even want to bring this up to Bella. I know her. I know that once I approach her about this, she will go on the defensive. She will undoubtedly get pissed, but I knew I at least had to try. "I will." I said and brought Liam higher on my chest. I kissed the top of his soft head, and kept my mouth there, just inhaling the scent of my newborn son.

I lifted my head when I heard the girls come back in the room. Bella walked toward me with the bottle in her hand and that smile still on her face. "Do you want to feed him?" She asked and handed the bottle to me.

I shifted Liam so he was now cradled in one of my arms. I looked over at Bella and that beautiful smile, and kissed her once on the lips. "I would love to." I said and sat down on the bed and started feeding my boy.

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Later that night, I was lying in bed in my usual night time attire; a pair of pajama pants and no shirt. Bella was right on the side of the bed, and looking inside of Liam's bassinet, and humming to him. She just had on one of my old t-shirts, and she had a soft smile on her face as she stared down at our baby. I looked over at her, and looked at the happy and content expression on her face. It was obvious the abundant amount of love she had for him, just like any mother would love her child.

She took her attention away from him after a couple of minutes, and I am sure he fell asleep. She looked over at me and smiled. She climbed in the bed, under the covers, and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her, and she linked our hands over my stomach.

She sighed loudly. "I'm pretty tired. Giving birth is a lot of work." She said and chuckled softly.

"You did amazing, my love. But before you go to bed, do you think we could talk about something?"

She lifted her head and looked me in the eyes. "Yes." She said warily.

"You have been feeling alright? Right?"

"Why? Do I look bad to you?" She asked, clearly irritated, she knew where I was going with this.

"No, you look beautiful. But I mean…you know…." I said, feeling like a coward for not even saying the words.

"Sadly, I think I do know. What you are really asking me, is if I want to go drink some fucking vodka." She said, just plain mad now. "You are asking me if I am going to turn back into a disappointment to you once again." She got off of my chest and let go of my hand. She sat cross legged next to me. I sat up with her.

"You were never a disappointment to me Bella. Those words never came out of my mouth that's not fair." I tried reaching for her hand, but she swatted me away.

"No, you know what is not fair? What's not fair, is having your husband have absolutely no faith in you."

"Bella, don't be like that, you know I have faith in you…I love you. All I want is for you to stay healthy." I moved a piece of hair out of her face, but she kept her eyes off of me, and she stared at the wall. "Have you ever thought of going to see a therapist?" I asked warily.

Now she looked at me, and I saw she was hurt. I felt like such an asshole, but all I really want to do is help her. I know she was never truly happy when she was drunk all the time; all I want is for her to be truly happy.

"Oh, so now you are saying I'm crazy?"

"No! Bella I never said that! Stop putting words in my mouth."

"I don't need to see a fucking shrink. I am fine." She said and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You are right now, but don't you think you should go get some professional help for your problems, so you don't ever have to go back to that place."

"No. I don't think that is necessary."

"But Bella…"

"No." She said loudly and thankfully Liam didn't wake up. "Just leave me alone, Edward. I know what is going on in my mind. I don't need you to try and act like you know everything."

"Bella, that is not what I am saying I…"

"Just leave me alone, Edward." She said and then laid down on the opposite side of the bed as me. She curled up with her back facing me.

I sighed and put my hand on her shoulder. She shrugged my hand off of her and I decided to just give her space. It killed me that she was mad at me, and didn't even want me to touch her. "I love you, Bella." I whispered and turned the lamp off on my bedside table.

I curled up on the other side of the bed, and had my back facing her also. I pulled the covers closer to my chin, trying to take away the coldness I felt at night when she wasn't close to me. I tried to fall asleep, but it wasn't happening. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. I have only been trying to sleep for fifteen minutes.

Suddenly, I felt Bella moving on the side of me. I then felt a small hand on my shoulder, and it pulled me so I was now lying on my back, and I was soon looking into the wet eyes of my beautiful wife. "Bella…" I said and wiped the tears from her eyes. She bent down and kissed me softly.

"I'm sorry, Edward." She whispered and her voice cracked from the tears.

"It's okay, love. I am sorry too; I just want to help you." She kissed me again, and ran her hand through my hair.

"I know you do, baby. But I really am fine. I haven't even thought of taking one drink all day, I swear. I have given it up on my own while I was pregnant with Liam, at least give me a little credit."

"I know you gave it up like that, Bella. I am so proud of you for that, love." I said and tilted my head up to kiss her. "I am so proud of you; I don't even know how to express it in words. But I just don't want there be any chance that you will go back there."

"But I think I can do it, Edward." She said confidently. "I haven't had a drink in nine months, and I gave it up all on my own, just please let me do this for myself. I think I can do it."

I looked in her eyes, and saw that she was confident that she could do this. "Okay, but if you feel yourself going back there, can you please tell me? I only want to help you Bella, I don't mean to make you mad at me."

She smiled softly and kissed my forehead. "I know Edward, I know you want to help me, and I am sorry for snapping at you like that, but I could never really be mad at you. That was me just being irrational." She whispered and kissed my lips once more before laying her head on my chest once again. "I love you, Edward." She whispered.

"I love you too, Bella." I said and rubbed my hand up and down her back. I don't know what will happen in the future for Bella when it comes to her drinking, but what I do know, is that I will be there for her every step of the way. All I want is for her to be happy. She deserves nothing more than to be happy.

* * *

**Please review and tell me what you think so far! **


	3. Chapter 2: Smiles

_**Chapter 2: Smiles  
Thursday, January 31, 2002**_

EPOV

"Oh my God! Edward!" I heard Bella scream from upstairs. I was in the kitchen, and drinking my much needed morning coffee while reading the paper. I instantly panicked and pushed the chair out from under me and ran to the stairs. I pushed open the door to Liam's nursery.

"What? What is it?" I asked frantically as I walked over to where she was with Liam on the changing table.

"Jesus, Edward, calm down." Bella said and looked at me like I was insane. Maybe I was. But these past couple of weeks have been perfect. Too perfect. I was still on my paternity leave, and I have been able to spend day in and day out with my son and my wife. My sober wife. The only problem with this blissful state I was in was knowing that it most likely won't last.

"Sorry, I just heard you screaming and I just…" I said and then caught my breath at the end.

She laughed and kissed me on the lips quickly before looking back at Liam. "Your Daddy is silly, isn't he Liam?" She cooed at him and he made those cute little baby noises that he always does when anyone talks to him. I smiled down at my son as I watched him stare at Bella as she was talking nonsense to him. His full attention was on her, and his brown eyes were sparkling. He was gnawing on his little fist and kicking his feet.

I ran my hand through the little tuft of dark brown hair that was on his head and then he looked up at me. His feet started kicking more and I smiled down at my little man. "Hey buddy." I said and bent down to kiss his soft head. He grabbed hold of my finger and started playing around with my hand. I turned to Bella, "Why were you yelling for me anyway?"

"He smiled, baby!" She said excitedly.

"He did?" I asked, shocked and elated that he actually smiled. "Are you sure it wasn't gas?" I teased and she hit my arm.

"No it was not gas. He smiled, go ahead and talk to him, I am sure he will smile for you."

I then turned to my boy and picked him up from under his arms and held him in front of me so we were face to face. "Hey Little Man, do you think you could smile for your Dad?" He just stared at me. "Come on Liam, smile for Daddy…smile." I cooed at him and smiled wide, hoping he would get the hint. He didn't. But he did burp in my face. "Ugh, come on dude, that smelt like absolute shit."

Bella grabbed Liam from me as she was laughing. "Watch your mouth, Edward." She said half serious and half playful. She held Liam so his head was on her shoulder. He was getting better at holding his head up, so he had it up and was looking around. Bella still had her hand behind his head though; just to be sure he wouldn't hurt himself.

"Oh please, he doesn't understand what I am saying."

"But still, we don't want to be bad influences on him." She said and then shifted him so he was now cradled in her arm. She used her other hand to stroke his perfect little cheeks. "Tell Daddy he needs to be a good boy in front of you." She said with a smile on her face. I looked down at Liam and saw the corners of his mouth turn up in the most beautiful smile I think I will ever see.

"Hey, that is not fair, son. You will smile for her, but not for me."I looked down at him, but his attention was still on Bella. He was completely smitten and in love with her.

I know the feeling, Little Man.

"Just face it Edward, I am the funny one in this relationship."

"Yeah, funny looking." She kicked me in the shin. And that shit hurt like a mother fucker.

"You're a dick."

"Oh, so now who has the dirty mouth?"

"Shut up, I hate you."

"No, I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too." She with a smile and I bent down to kiss her. Our kiss was cut short by my son kicking me in the stomach. Such a Momma's boy.

"Alright, alright I'll stop." I said while looking down at Liam. I looked back up at Bella and ran my right hand through her hair. "And I was just kidding, you are not funny looking at all. You are the most beautiful woman in the world."

She smiled wide and kissed me again. "And you are the most handsome man in the world." She said sincerely and looking up at me with those beautiful eyes. "And the most handsome little boy in the world is this little guy." Bella said and bounced him a little.

"That is true."

* * *

Later that night, or should I say early the next morning, because it was one in the morning when I heard the heart wrenching cries of my little boy. My head shot up off the pillow and I reached out to Bella to make sure she was still sleeping and I would go get him. I noticed Bella wasn't even in the bed, so I panicked and ran to the nursery.

In the first couple of weeks of Liam's life, I have been trying to get up with him in the middle of the night. It was not because I didn't think Bella was capable, but I didn't want her to snap. She was great with him during the day, but I knew it would be different for her at night when she was exhausted and he was screaming.

I went to the nursery, but they weren't there. I heard his cries coming from downstairs, and I went down there to find Bella on the couch. I could only see the back of her head, but I could tell she was holding Liam, because she was rocking something in her arms. I made my way over to the other side of the couch and finally was able to see her face. I gasped when I saw she was sobbing along with him. When she saw me, she looked up in my eyes with pain and sorrow in hers.

I reached out to grab Liam, "Here, let me take him, sweetheart." I said softly and she let me pick up Liam. His little face was stained with tear tracks down his cheeks, his face was all red, and he continued to wail when I picked him up and put him over my shoulder. I patted his back and bounced him in my arms, desperate for him to stop crying because it was literally tearing me apart. "Shh, buddy. It's okay, stop crying for Daddy." I cooed at him and kissed his head multiple times. He continued fussing, but his full blown crying died down.

"He hates me." Bella said from her spot on the couch and my head whipped over to look at her. She had her hands in her hair and she had a good grip on it. She was shaking her head back and forth. I sat down next to her, while keeping Liam on my shoulder. I held him with one arm, and then wrapped the other around Bella.

"That is not true, my love. He loves you." I held onto her and kissed the top of her head while running my hand up and down her arm.

She shook her head against my arm. "He is going to feel the same way about me, as I did about her."

I felt my body tense up and my hands begin to sweat as she said those words. She was talking about her Mom. And she said those words with such sadness and pain. That is what started this whole thing, and I began to panic, thinking that this will trigger something inside of her to take her away from me again. I need to fix this, before it gets out of hand.

"Bella that is complete bullshit and you know it." I told her and she shrugged my arm off of her and sat up to look at me.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Bella. You know for a fact that Liam in no way hates you. He is a complete Momma's boy and only ever wants to be held by you. He loves me too, but he prefers you, you are his Mother." I saw her face soften and she looked over at Liam who stopped crying now and was just looking around on my shoulder while sucking on his fist. "Let me ask you something, Bella." She finally took her eyes off of Liam and looked at me expectantly. "Do you love Liam?"

She gasped. "Of course I do! I love him more than anything else in the world. How could you ask me something like that?" She asked, sounding appalled at the question, but I needed to prove a point.

"Okay, so that is enough for him."

"But it is not, Edward. I heard him crying, and I tried everything, I tried changing him, feeding him, burping him, bouncing him, rocking him, and even singing to him, but none of that made him stop crying. But as soon as he is in your arms, he stops."

"Bella, babies cry all the time." She looked at me like I was stupid for stating something so obvious. "So what if he just wanted me this time, that very rarely ever happens, he must just be used to me being the one getting him in the middle of the night. It was nothing you did, love."

She sighed loudly and then curled into my side once again. She put her hand across my chest and on Liam's back along with mine. "I'm sorry, Edward. It is just my biggest fear…that I will turn out like her and my kids will hate me."

"Bella that will never happen if you continue being the amazing mother you are to Liam." I was sure of that. If Bella continues this way, without drinking, she is going to be the world's greatest mother. I knew she could never be as heartless as her mother. I still remember the first time I met her Mom…

_~Flashback~_

_Edward and Bella were in the living room of Carlisle and Esme's house coloring. Alice and Emmett were in the same room as them, but they were on the couch watching TV. Edward and Bella were in their own little word like they have been for the month they have known each other. _

"_Bella, why are you coloring the pumpkin purple?" Edward asked while looking at her pumpkin in disgust. _

_Bella kept her eyes on her work and shrugged. "Because I feel like it." _

"_But pumpkins are supposed to be orange." _

"_I don't care, I want it to be pink alright?" She said sternly and looking at Edward. _

"_Okay, Bella." _

"_Bella." Esme called her as she walked into the room. _

_Bella looked over at her. "Yeah?" _

"_Your Mom said she wants you to go home for a minute."_

_Bella sighed and put her crayon down. "Okay." She said glumly and got up from the ground. She looked at Edward. "I will be back." _

"_Wait!" Edward said as she started to walk away. He got up from the floor. "Can I go with you?" _

_Bella's face lit up for a reason Edward didn't understand at the time. She turned to Esme. "Can he?" She asked excitedly. How could Esme say no to such a face?_

"_Okay but let's go, I will keep an eye on you when you walk over." Esme said while gesturing the both of them to go to the door. Bella grabbed Edward's hand and dragged him to the door. She kept her hold on his hand as they walked over to the house next door. When they got to the front door, Bella waved at Esme who was standing on the porch of her house so she knew they made it okay. Esme waved also before walking back inside. _

_Bella let go of Edward's hand so she could open the door and Edward followed her in. Edward looked around Bella's home while she led him down the hall. Edward noticed her house was smaller than Aunt Esme's and it was pretty dirty. Edward didn't say anything though because he didn't want to hurt Bella's feelings. Bella stopped in front of a door and knocked on it. "Mommy." Bella called. _

"_Come in." A voice said from the other side. Edward noticed that the woman didn't sound happy. _

_Bella opened the door and walked in with Edward behind her. Bella's mother was lying down on a bed and looked like she just woke up. This confused Edward because they just got finished eating lunch at Aunt Esme's and Bella's Mom was just getting up from sleeping. Bella walked over to her Mom and jumped on the bed to hug her. Edward watched while standing awkwardly at the door. _

"_Hi Mommy." Bella said and kissed her Mom's cheek. Bella's Mom wrapped her arms around Bella lazily for a second before pushing her away. _

"_Hi Bella, but you need to stop clinging on me, Jesus Christ."She mumbled and rolled over and put her arm over the man that was lying next to her and snoring loudly. Bella looked sad and then walked back over to Edward. She only wanted a little affection from her Mother, and she was barely able to get any. Edward noticed Bella was sad, so he reached his little hand out to her. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She looked up at Edward with a thankful smile. _

"_Mommy? I brought my friend over." Bella called from the bottom of the bed. Bella's mother's head shot up and she focused her tired eyes on Edward. _

"_Why the hell did you do that?" She snapped at Bella. "Did I say you could bring anyone over?" _

"_But Aunt Esme said you just needed me for a minute, so I brought Edward with me." _

"_Whatever. Just go straighten out the house; I don't want to have to get out of bed into a dirty house." Bella's mother said and then rested her head on the chest of the still snoring man. Bella sighed and grabbed Edward's hand to bring him out of the room. She turned to Edward when the door was closed. _

"_Can you stay with me when I clean?" She asked him. _

"_But I don't think your Mom wants me here, Bella." Edward said hesitantly as he looked down the hall to where the door was. _

"_No she doesn't care; she won't be getting out of bed until later anyway. Please Edward? I will be so bored if I have to clean all by myself." _

"_Okay." He said and followed her into the kitchen. Bella pulled a big chair from the kitchen table and dragged it over to the sink where there were dirty dishes inside. Bella put some soap on a sponge and turned the water on. "You know how to do dishes?" Edward asked, unbelieving. _

"_Yeah." Bella shrugged. "One day Mommy was having adult drinks with her friends and there was so much dirty dishes that there was bugs all over, so I just cleaned it. It is not that hard." Bella said as if it was nothing. It was a part of her life. _

_Edward on the other hand was baffled. He never had to clean the dishes. He was only five years old. The only thing he has ever had to clean was his room when there were too many toys on the floor, and even then his Mom or Dad would help him. _

"_Why was your Mommy still sleeping, Bella?" Edward asked quietly by her side. He wanted to help her, but he didn't have the slightest idea of how to do that. _

"_Her and Phil stay up super late with their friends and have a lot of grown up drinks. They are always thirsty I guess." _

"_Do you stay up with them?" _

"_No they are called grown up drinks, stupid." _

"_Hey, I am not stupid." Edward said and stomped his foot. _

"_I know I am sorry." Bella patted Edward's head with her wet hand and laughed at him when he pouted and ran his hands through his wet hair, making it stick up. "No I have to go to bed when they are doing that stuff. I came out once because I couldn't sleep but they were all loud, and they laughed at everything. Then they started picking on me, so I went to bed." _

"_That is mean." _

"_I know." Bella sighed like she has heard it all before but it doesn't affect her anymore. _

"_I would yell at them for you if they make fun of you again." Edward told her. _

_Bella dropped a plate in the sink and looked over at Edward. "Really?" _

"_Yeah," Edward's face started turning red, but he meant what he said. "You are my best friend, and best friends need to make sure their friend is never sad." _

_Bella bent down on the chair and kissed Edward's cheek, making Edward blush darker. "I would do the same for you, Edward." _

_~End Flashback~_

I held on tighter to Bella after thinking back on the first time I realized how much Bella did in her household. Looking back now, I realized how truly messed up it was, and how unfair it was to Bella. I went to Bella's house many times, and seen the things she had to do as a child. A couple of days after the first time I went over, she had to clean up a puddle of puke on the floor that was left from the night before. She was crying when she did it and I tried to help in any way I could, but I can still remember the smell of day old puke on the rug.

"Well I hope you are right." She said while she put her hand over mine on Liam's back.

"Of course I am right, I am always right." I teased and she laughed softly. She kissed me on the cheek quickly.

"I love you, even if you are a cocky bastard."

I gasped in shock and moved my hand to cover Liam's exposed ear. "How dare you say that word in front of my son."

She laughed again. "Oh shut up you ass rag."

"Oh so now I am an ass rag, I see how it is Bella." I pouted to add effect, but I was just kidding. I could tell by her tone that she was also kidding. It was what we did.

She kissed my chest. "I love you." She said simply and tiredly, I knew if it wasn't 1:30 in the morning, she wouldn't have given up and we would have went on bickering for days.

"I love you, too. Why don't you go upstairs to bed, love?" I looked down at Liam and saw he was still wide awake. Bella nodded her head and kissed the both of us on our foreheads before walking back up the steps. I sighed loudly and thanked any God that would listen for not making her be down on herself too bad. I knew how she could get when it came to the subject of her mother, and I was afraid that anything that will trigger those feeling again, will take my Bella away.

I could hear Liam gurgling on my chest and I smiled. I lifted him off of my chest and brought his head to my lips and kissed his soft forehead. I sat forward with my knees closed together and sat him on my lap and cradled his head in both of my hands so I could look at him. My boy is beautiful.

"Hey little man, are you going to go back to sleep for your old man?" I asked him and he just started making adorable baby noises and kicking his legs and flailing his little arms around. It was if he was saying, 'No Dad, I am wide awake so play with me, sucker.'

"You are lucky I love you to pieces, kid." I tickled his little belly and he finally showed me a beautiful toothless smile. I can't really explain the amount of happiness and pride I felt when I saw my son smile at me, but I felt like I could just burst from it all. I smiled wide back at my son and put him back on the spot on my chest and held him close. He seemed to calm his hyper behavior and sighed softly against my chest. I dipped my head down and kissed the top of his head. Liam was the most perfect thing in my world, and in Bella's. I made a promise to myself that night to give him everything he deserves and more.

I just hope his mother will always be there to help me.

* * *

**Well there is the next chapter! You got a little insight into Bella's mother and Bella's childhood. Let me know your questions, comments, concerns, and complaints in a review! Thanks for reading! **


	4. Chapter 3: Perfect

_**Chapter 3: Perfect  
Saturday, June 22, 2002**_

EPOV

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear, Edward…Daddy, Happy Birthday to you." I bent forward and blew out the candles of my cake. I personally thought I was kind of old for birthday parties, but I lost that fight against my stubborn wife. The whole family and some of my friends were over. My actual birthday was two days ago, but the party was today. Everyone clapped after I blew out the candles, and Bella kissed the side of my head.

Liam was kicking and flailing his arms around from his spot on my lap. He was squealing when everyone was clapping, and he finally started clapping when everyone stopped, causing all of us to laugh, and causing me to kiss him on his head.

Bella took the cake away to go cut it, and my mother took my kid away. I got up from the chair and was attacked by my lovely niece, Emma. She was strong for four years old, and she started punching my stomach repeatedly. "Uncle Edward is old! Uncle Edward is old!" She sang as she kept punching me it didn't really hurt, but it was quite comical. Emma was what you would call a tom boy. She hated dresses, and she loved everything that boys like. Rosalie tries so hard to make her more girly, but that never happens.

"Emma! Stop hitting your Uncle, and come have some cake and ice cream." Rosalie yelled from the kitchen. I laughed as Emma completely stopped punching me and ran to the kitchen. I walked in behind her and stood in the doorway and just watched Bella. She was glowing. She was as happy as I have ever seen her, which in turn made me the happiest I have ever been. She was striving. She was a wonderful and doting mother, and a loving and caring wife. I began to think that the drinking was now a part of the past. Just phase in our lives that we overcame.

There have been many times where I thought she would go back. Some days I would come home from work, and she will be stressed out for trying to keep up with Liam and the house. Luckily I was able to calm her down and help her in any way I could. That was all I wanted was to help her. I wanted to be the one to help her; not the alcohol. That is how it was supposed to be.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked over to my left and saw Emmett. He had a drink in his hand and a smile on his face. "She looks good."

"Hey, that's my wife you're talking about." I said with a smirk.

He chuckled and lightly hit the back of my head. "You know what I mean."

"I know. She does look good. She is better now."

"Yeah, I guess you were right. Liam changed her."

"He did."

* * *

"Na Na Na Na Na…" I smiled as I listened to Liam talk in his own baby language. He has been more vocal lately. He just started being able to roll over and he loved being on his stomach. He holds himself up with his arms. I think he is probably the smartest five month old in the world. He is just growing up so fast, and learning new things every day. I was amazed by him.

We were both sitting in his room just before he was going to be put down for bed. I was sitting on the rocking chair, and he was sitting on my lap with his back resting against my chest. We were both just relaxing until Bella got out of the shower. It was around eight at night, and Liam was getting tired. I was glad he was actually just sitting still and we could just spend some quiet time together. Today was loud and hectic since it was a party, and it was fun, but nothing beats just sitting with your son on your lap in a quiet room.

"Ba ba ba ba baaaaa…." He was getting louder by the minute, and I just kept on running my hand that wasn't holding him around his stomach through his straight brown hair.

"Are you telling Daddy stories, Little Man?" He looked up at me when he heard me talk, and just gave me a toothless grin before continuing on with his babbling. "Do you know who used to tell great stories, Liam?" He obviously didn't answer, but he was still looking at me. "Your Grandfather did. I know you haven't met him, but I am sure he would have loved you. And so would Grandma."

It always saddened me to think that my parents would never actually meet Liam. My parents were both amazing people, and they were both my heroes before they were taken away from me. It is still hard for me to think about them, and that night. Especially on days like this, my Mom used to love throwing parties, and my birthday parties were always really fun…

~_Flashback~_

"_Edward! Bella is here!" Edward's mother, Elizabeth, called out to Edward who was in the backyard. Edward stopped jumping in the moon bounce with Emmett, Alice, and all of the other friends he invited to go get Bella. _

"_Hi Lizzie, I have missed you." Bella said and hugged around Elizabeth's waist. Bella hasn't been able to go to Edward's house for over two weeks now because her mother was sick, and wouldn't let Bella leave the house. Edward went over to Bella's house a couple of times when he was visiting with his Aunt and Uncle, but when he did, they both had to stay in the kitchen, and be very quiet so Bella's Mom would never catch them. _

"_Oh I missed you too, Bella." She bent down and hugged Bella and then Edward finally came running in. His cheeks were red, and the outer edge of his hair was damp from sweat. _

"_Come on, Bella!" He said excitedly and grabbed her hand in his to drag her to the moon bounce. _

"_Hold on, Edward. I want to say hi to your Dad." Elizabeth smiled when Bella said this, because she realized how much Bella loved Ed. Him and Carlisle were the closest thing she has ever had to a father figure, and it saddened Elizabeth to think such a sweet girl as Bella doesn't have a father in her life. _

_Edward groaned because he really just wanted to play, but he followed Bella anyway because he did anything and everything for her. They both went outside to where Ed was talking to one of the family friends, Greg. "Ed!" Bella yelled as she ran to hug him. He turned around when he saw her and smiled. He put his drink down and squatted down to hug her. Just like Bella never had a father, Ed has never had a daughter, and he loved Bella like his own. _

"_Hello Miss Bella Beauty." That was a nickname Ed had for Bella, and it always made her blush. _

"_Can you tell us a story?" Bella asked excitedly. Edward rolled his eyes, he liked hearing his father's stories, but he also wanted to continue playing with his friends at his party. _

"_Well I don't really have time right now, but I can do a quick magic trick." _

"_Yeah! Yeah!" Ed smiled and stood up from his squatting position. He took a quarter out of his pocket and held it out for Bella and Edward to see. They have seen this trick before, but it still amazed them. He closed his fist around the quarter, and then opened it. The quarter was gone. Bella and Edward started clapping. _

"_Miss Bella Beauty, why did you steal my quarter?" _

_Bella laughed. "I didn't steal your quarter!" _

"_Then why is it right here, behind your ear?" He asked and pulled the quarter out from behind Bella's ear. _

"_How do you do that!" They both started asking._

_Ed laughed. "A good magician never tells his secrets." _

"_Come on, Bella." Edward said while tugging on Bella's hand. _

"_Okay, okay, you pain in the butt." Bella pulled her hand away from Edward and hugged Ed one more time. "See you later!"_

"_About time!" Edward said as he started running for the moon bounce. _

"_Edward wait!" Edward groaned. _

"_What, Bella?" He asked as he turned around to look at her. _

"_I didn't get you a present." Bella said while wringing her hands and looking down. "Phil took my money, so I couldn't get you the Transformer you wanted." _

"_That's okay, Bella. I just wanted you to come to my party." _

_Bella walked up to Edward and hugged him. "I will give you a hug for your birthday. I love you my best friend." _

"_I love you too Bella, but can we please just go play now?" Edward asked impatiently. Bella laughed and then she was the one dragging Edward to the moon bounce. _

* * *

_Edward's Mom slipped Edward's pajama shirt over his head. She smoothed his wet hair down again and then grabbed his face in her hands to kiss his forehead. "You are so handsome, my Edward." _

"_I get it from my Daddy." _

_Elizabeth started laughing and then hugged Edward close. "He has trained you well, hasn't he?" Edward just shrugged. "Okay, well go downstairs and say goodnight to your Daddy." Edward nodded his head and then ran past his mother and down the stairs to find his father. He found him in the living room on the recliner and reading a book. He looked up when he heard his son walk in the room. He smiled and took his glasses off as Edward jumped into his lap. _

"_Umph…I don't know, Edward. I think you are getting to old to sit on my lap." He wrapped his arms around his son despite his comment. _

"_Daaad," Edward whined. "I am only six years old! I'm not that big yet." _

_Ed kissed his Edward's head and chuckled. "I know bud, I was just kidding. You can always sit on my lap, even when you are 60."_

"_Really?" _

"_Sure, if that is what you want when you are 60." Edward rested his head on Ed's chest. He knew he was just supposed to be saying goodnight, but he liked quiet time with his Dad. Ed ran his hands through Edward's messy hair that he got from him. "So did you have a good birthday party, son?"_

"_Yeah! It was the best birthday party ever!" Edward said excitedly. _

"_Good. Nothing but the best for my boy."_

_Edward held on tighter to his father. "I love you, Dad."_

"_I love you too, son. Me and your mother love you more than anyone or anything in this world. Remember that." _

"_Okay. Goodnight, Dad." Edward kissed his father on the cheek and Ed did the same to him. _

"_Goodnight, Edward." Edward climbed off of his father's lap and then ran back upstairs to his room. Elizabeth was already waiting on Edward's bed with the book they were reading for the night, "Where the Wild Things Are", always "Where the Wild Things Are". Edward jumped in the bed and snuggled under the covers. Elizabeth smoothed his hair down and looked at him lovingly before she started reading Edward's all time favorite story. _

_I didn't take Elizabeth long to finish reading. "I have one more thing to give you for your birthday, baby." Elizabeth bent over and picked up the gift from next to the bed where she put it. She held out the brown bear stuffed animal to Edward. "Your grandma gave this bear to me on my 6__th__ birthday. She told me to give it to the person who means the most to me when I get older." _

_Edward took the brown stuffed bear in his hands and held it close to his chest. "I love him, thank you Mommy." _

"_Your welcome, my love." She kissed his forehead. "You know, I never gave him a name. I just called him Bear. So why don't you give him a new name." _

_Edward put his finger to his chin, and scrunched up his face in thought. Elizabeth chuckled at her son's cuteness. "Max." _

"_I should have guessed." Of course Edward would choose the name of the little boy from his favorite book. She got up from the bed and kissed Edward one more time. "Goodnight my birthday boy, I love you." _

"_Love you too, Mommy." Edward said while turning in his bed to lie on his side and had Max clutched to his chest. Elizabeth shut the light off and left the door open halfway. Edward closed his eyes with a smile on his face. Today was a great birthday for him, and he couldn't wait to show Bella, Max._

_~End Flashback~_

That was the last birthday I ever got to spend with my parents. I held Liam closer to me, and thought about how much it would kill me if I would ever have to leave him. I didn't want my son to have to feel the pain I felt when I lost my parents. I know it wasn't their fault, but those were the darkest times of my life, and I was so young. Luckily I had Carlisle and Esme to help me. And Bella.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder, which then caused Liam to jump. I expected him to cry, but instead he let out a small giggle. I smiled down at him and then looked up to Bella who also smiled at the sound that every parent strives to hear from their child any chance they get. She crouched down next to us. "Are you okay, Edward?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I fail at lying when it comes to attempting to lie to Bella. I made the mistake of not only answering to quickly, but I also didn't look her in the eye. Bella knows me too well.

"Liar." She simply said.

I sighed, knowing I will not get out of this one. "I was just thinking about my parents." Bella sighed and kissed my arm. She lifted her hand and stroked my hair. I knew she wasn't going to say anything, because really, what could she say? "I just think about them more on days like these, you know? Birthdays, holidays, or even days when Liam does something for the first time. I just really wish they could have gotten to at least meet him. They would have loved him."

"I know they would have. And they would be so proud of you, baby."

I looked down in Bella's eyes. "You think so?"

"I know so. What isn't there to be proud of? You are 23 years old, already graduated college, you have a good job to support yourself and your family, and you are the perfect husband and father."

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"No need to thank me, handsome. I am your wife, and it is my job to stroke your ego at any chance I can get." I laughed and she laughed with me. Liam's head shot to us when we were laughing, and then he joined with us. Bella held her arms out to Liam. "Come on Mr. Giggle Pants, it is time for you to go to sleep." Liam lifted his arms, and Bella picked him up and held him on her hip. He rested his head on her shoulder. Bella kissed his head and I walked up to him to also kiss my boy.

"I love you, Little Man." I whispered against his head. I kissed Bella once before walking out of the room and to mine and Bella's room. I brushed my teeth and stripped down to my boxers for bed. I got under the covers and waited for Bella to finish up with putting Liam to bed. It only took about five minutes before she was walking back in the room. She was already in her pajamas and she got a running start before jumping right on top of me. She knocked the wind out of me, but I laughed.

I pushed her down on the bed and hovered on top of her. I brought one of my hands down and started tickling her sides. She laughed hysterically while begging me to stop. I would have stopped, but hearing her laugh just made me too damn happy. "I'm going to die you idiot." She tried to sound stern, but that was not working since she was laughing in between.

I stopped tickling her and kissed her instead. She kissed me back and moaned against my mouth. I slipped my tongue into her mouth, and she gratefully accepted it. We made out for a couple of seconds before I stopped and moved my lips down her face, and placed open mouthed kisses on her neck. Bella had her hands in my hair, "Ugh, it really is crazy how much I love you, Edward, and how much I want you. All the time." She was breathless and I continued my assault on her neck and made my way lower on her body. She moaned as I placed a kiss right above her breast, but she pushed my head away. "Wait, baby."

I groaned. "Bella!" I whined and she laughed. She kissed me and then pushed me off of her before getting off the bed. I was lying on my back and concentrating on fixing my problem down below since I need to 'wait'. Damn woman will be the death of me. I looked over and saw that Bella was walking back to the bed with a box wrapped in blue wrapping paper. She jumped on the bed next to me, and handed me the box.

"Happy Birthday, Edward." She said as she kissed my cheek.

"Bella, I told you you didn't have to get me anything."

"I didn't. That is from Liam." I smiled and kissed her. I took the wrapping paper off of the box. It was just a regular rectangular, white box, and I took the lid off. I smiled when I saw a thing silver chain with two dog tags attached. I carefully picked it up by the chain, and rested the two dog tags in my palm. I noticed there were words engraved on each one. I held up one of them and read the words.

_Bella Cullen  
8-6-1999_

The date was the day we got married; one of the best days of my life. "Turn it over, baby." Bella said softly and rested her head on my shoulder. I turned it over, and read the words on the back.

_My Love.  
My Life.  
My Edward._

I felt my eyes well up, and I felt like a girl because of it, but this was just too damn perfect. She was too damn perfect. I then picked up the next tag, and read the words.

_Liam Edward  
1-13-2002_

I turned it over.

_My Daddy.  
My Hero._

I turned my head and kissed Bella deeply. This kiss wasn't hard and it wasn't like our kisses a couple of minutes ago when we were both overtaken by the lust we had for one another. This kiss was slow and gentle, and I tried my best to show her my love and devotion to her in the movements of my lips. She kissed me back the same way, and I felt her love for me. I pulled away, and rested my forehead against hers.

"Thank you, Bella."

"You're welcome, handsome. I am glad you like it." She kissed my nose, and took the chain out of my hand. She pulled back and brought the chain over my head so it fell around my neck. It was cold against my bare chest at first, but I will never take this off.

"I love you." I said and then kissed her mouth lightly.

"Mm…not as much as I love you."

I smiled and laid her back on the bed and hovered over her once again. I held myself up with my elbows so I wouldn't squash her. The chain fell off of my chest, and was dangling in between us. "I think that is just something we should agree to disagree on, because that argument could go on for days."

She laughed and she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down for a kiss. "You know." She said in between kisses. "There was an ulterior motive in getting you the dog tags."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup."

"And what was that?" I kissed her forehead and pushed her brown hair out of her face.

"I thought you would look sexy wearing dog tags."

I chuckled. "Really? And how do I look?"

"Even sexier than I imagined." She kissed me. "It is actually really turning me on."

I laughed softly and continued what I was doing before; I was kissing down her neck and getting lower and lower. "Hmm, maybe I should help you out with that."

"Hell yes you should." I laughed and lifted her shirt over her head. Let's just say I helped her out with that. Many times that night.

* * *

**So that is the next chapter! You get to see a little of Edward's relationship with his birth parents. I am sorry if some people think this is moving a little slow, but I am just setting everything up, you know? So please just stick with it, and I promise things are going to get real juicy soon. All of these chapters have something important that you should keep in mind while reading. **

**Some feedback is greatly appreciated! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4: Cold

_**Chapter 4: Cold  
Wednesday, September 25, 2002**_

EPOV

Stupid fucking printer.

You would think that since we were the biggest advertising agency in Washington, we would have a printer that was made in the last two years, but we don't. It was one of those bulky ones that probably weighed more than me. I think it was white at one point, but now it was an ugly brownish yellow combination and it was really pissing me off. I just needed to make one copy and it is just making noises and doing nothing. I pressed the copy button one more time, and still nothing.

"Come on!" I said grudgingly and kicked the monster of a machine. It just kept on making noises, but still didn't do anything. I kicked it again, then I heard laughing coming from behind me. I turned and saw my secretary, Karen. She was nice lady, and in her early 40's. She had spiky blond hair, and glasses.

"Having trouble, Mr. C?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, a little."

She walked over to me and took the paper out of my hands. "Why didn't you just put it in my bin, I would have done it. That is my job you know."

"I know, but you were on your lunch break, and I am kind of in a hurry."

She put the paper in the machine, and started pressing buttons. "Is there something wrong?"

"No nothing to bad, it's just Liam has a pretty bad cold."

"Oh the poor thing!"

"Yeah he is pretty miserable, I almost didn't even come to work today to help Bella, but you know how we had that big meeting."

"Yeah." I heard the printer making noise, and luckily it was the noise I was waiting to hear. A copy of the paper came out and Karen handed both paper's over to me. "Well here you go, Edward."

"You are a saint, Karen."

She laughed. "Oh stop flirting with me; I am old enough to be your mother."

"But I can't help myself." I said dramatically.

"We would make a pretty hot couple wouldn't we?" She asked as we both started walking out of the copy room.

"Hell yes." We both started laughing as we made our way to my office. Her office was right outside of mine. This 'flirting' that me and Karen do is completely harmless. First of all, Karen is indeed old enough to be my mother. Second of all, Karen has a partner named Nancy. Bella has been a witness to our 'flirting' and thinks it is the funniest thing. It was an ongoing joke between me and Karen, and it made for good fun.

"Here," Karen stopped, and took one of the copies away from me. "I will bring this down to Mitchell, just go lock up, and go home to your wife and baby."

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" I quirked an eyebrow.

She laughed. "Just go home you dope." I laughed and opened the door to my office. I walked over and sat in my black leather chair behind my desk. I moved the mouse on my computer to check my e-mail's before I left. Of course there were 12 of them. I groaned and opened and read them. I really wanted to go home, but I knew if I left them, I would be left with a million e-mails to deal with tomorrow.

I was on the last one, when my phone started ringing. I picked it up without taking my eyes off of the computer screen. "Edward Cullen."

"Hey, baby." I heard Bella say on the other line, sounding tired.

"Hey, love. How is Liam?"

She sighed loudly. "He is miserable. He has been fussing all day, and he just doesn't know what he wants."

"Is he sleeping?"

"No, Esme just got here and she is with him up in his room with the humidifier."

"And how are you?"

"I am fine I guess, just frustrated that I can't really do anything to help him. When are you going to be home? He has been asking for you."

"I will be home in a half an hour, I just have to finish up some things over here, and I am leaving. Is my mom staying there?"

"No, she said she can only stay for about 45 minutes, because she has to go to work."

"Okay love, well I will be home soon."

"Okay, I love you."

"Love you, too," We both hung up, and I closed the window of my last e-mail. I shut down the computer, and went to the closet of my office to get my jacket. The phone started ringing again, and I groaned. I walked over to it and answered. "Edward Cullen."

"Hi Mr. Cullen, this is Lucy, Mr. Mitchell's secretary."

"Oh yes, hi Lucy." Shit, am I in trouble?

"Well Mr. Mitchell has requested that you come and meet him in his office, there are some things he wishes to discuss with you." Oh shit, oh shit, oh _shit._

I cleared my throat. "Uh…okay, right now?"

"Yes, he is holding off his lunch to meet with you."

"Okay, I will be right up there." So I guess I won't be going home as quick as I would have liked.

* * *

I made it up to the 10th floor of the building and walked to Mr. Mitchell's office. He was my boss, and I am not going to lie; I am scared. I need this job. Sure, me and Bella were fine when it came to money. I got a hefty inheritance when I turned 18 from my parents, but eventually that money won't be enough to support our family. I bought us a nice house, me and Bella both have great cars, and Liam got more toys than any other 8 month old.

I approached Lucy's desk and she was on the phone. She looked up, and waved her hand toward the door to Mitchell's office, telling me I could go in. I knocked on the door. "Come in." I took a deep breath and opened the door. Thomas Mitchell was sitting at his desk, and typing furiously. He looked up when I walked in and smiled. "Oh Edward, I am glad you could get here so fast. Come, take a seat." He said gesturing to the seats in front of his desk. I sat down and waited.

Finally, he turned from the computer and faced me. He folded his hands together on the top of the desk, and leaned towards me. "So how are you, Edward?" He said with a smile. He took his glasses off, and set them on the desk.

"I am good, how are you?" I asked politely.

"Oh I am excellent." He ran his hand through his white hair. Mr. Mitchell was about 50 years old, and he has been running this play for 10 years. "So do you know why I called you down here?"

"Uh…not exactly." My hands started sweating and I wiped them on my black dress pants. The tie around my neck all of a sudden felt suffocating, and I prayed I was not about to be fired.

Mr. Mitchell must have noticed my anxiety. "Oh no, Edward. Don't think this is a bad thing. I believe you will find out it is quite the opposite actually."

Now I was just plain confused. "Okay…"

"I would like to promote you to Account Supervisor." Now I was just plain shocked.

"Umm…" I cleared my throat. _Holy shit. _"I thought Rick was next in line for that position."

"Oh he was. But honestly, I don't think he has it in him to do this job. I know it sounds mean, but I run things here, and I know what I am talking about."

"Okay, but I only have three years experience…I thought you needed five to even be considered for Supervisor."

"You should probably know I do not play by the rules." He said with a smirk. "You are good at this Edward. One of the best I have seen since I started in advertising over 25 years ago. Your ideas are genius; you have a charm that the clients love, and that talent and charm is what is about 25% of our income. You have a gift, Edward."

"Well…thank you, I mean I love my job."

"And that is the other thing. You actually enjoy being here. It isn't a job for you. You are easy to work with, and a lot of people respect you. Sure you are young, but you have sold to more clients these past few months, than some have done in their careers."

"Wow…um I don't know what to say." This was a lot to take in. I knew a promotion would mean there would be more demands from me. But I also knew there would be in increase in income.

"Well listen, you don't have to answer now. I will give you a week to let me know if you will take it. Owen doesn't leave until about three weeks so you have time. I know it is a big decision."

"Yeah, um…wow thank you, I will definitely think about it. Talk to my wife and stuff."

"Oh of course, of course." He got up from his chair, and I got up with him. He extended his hand towards me, and I shook it firmly. "I hope to see you again with a good answer."

"Thank you, sir. This really means a lot."

"Alright, have good day." I told him the same, and walked out the door. I was in a daze as I walked to my car. I can't believe that just happened. I was fucking excited. I am 23 and I was asked by my boss to be supervisor. That was unheard of. I can't wait to tell Bella.

* * *

I got out of my car and felt like fucking skipping to the door. I jogged up the steps of the porch and opened the door. I was about to call for Bella, but it was virtually silent in the house, and all the lights were off. The only sound was the soft hum of the TV coming from the living room. I walked to the living room and saw Bella was curled up asleep on the couch. She was lying on her side with her hands under her face, her mouth was opened slightly, and she was snoring softly. She looked absolutely adorable.

I walked up to her, and gave her a small kiss on her forehead. I grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the couch and put it over her. I kissed her head one more time, and then made my way to the kitchen to get something to eat since I missed lunch. I just opened the fridge door when I heard the sound of Liam fussing coming from the baby monitor. I jogged lightly to turn the monitor off so Bella could sleep. She was probably exhausted with having to deal with a sick baby all day.

I jogged up the stairs and made my way to Liam's room. He was standing up in the crib, and he had his forehead resting on the bar as he whined softly. My poor boy. He lifted his head when he heard me walk in. He took one hand off of the bar and used the other to hold him up. He outstretched his hand toward me and started clenching and unclenching it, reaching for me.

"Da, da, da, da, da…" He was whining my name and his bottom lip jutted out. He was breaking my heart. I walked up to him and lifted him out of the crib. I held him on my hip, and he rested his head on my shoulder. I could hear his loud breathing only coming out of his mouth.

"Hey, buddy. You're still not feeling good huh?" He whimpered on my shoulder. I held him close and rubbed his back. I dropped my head and turned it so my cheek was on his forehead. He was just a little bit warm but nothing to worry about. His biggest problem seemed to be his stuffed up nose. "Alright, come on, little man. I think I know something that could help you." I walked out of the room and walked to mine and Bella's.

When I got in, I sat Liam down on the floor. He started crying and crawling after me. "Hold on, bud." I loosened my tie and took it off. I took the rest of my clothes off as quickly as possible while leaving my boxers on. Liam was crying louder and kicking his legs. "Alright, alright buddy I'm sorry." I picked him up and he instantly stopped crying. I sat with him on the bed, and took his clothes off. I walked into the bathroom and then took his diaper off in there and threw it in the trash. I walked with him to the shower and turned on to hot water. The steam will help clear his nose.

I stepped in the shower with him and let the water fall on my back. The water wasn't ridiculously hot, but I didn't want to put him directly under it just yet. Steam started flowing around us, and I could hear the easy breaths Liam was taking. After a couple of minutes, he finally lifted his head off my shoulder. He reached behind me and put his little hand under the flow of water. He laughed and kicked his legs in excitement. The water was a little cooler now, so I turned around and let the water hit his back. He started giggling some more, and it was good to see him happy.

But seeing someone sick, especially someone that I care about, always brings me back to the first time that I took care of Bella when she was sick…

~_Flashback~_

"_Edward." Alice whined while tugging on Edward's hand. "Please, please, please play dress up with me…pleeeassee." _

"_No Alice, I am a boy." _

"_So? Please come play. Bella isn't here today and I need someone to play dress up." _

_Edward was standing in front of the window, looking outside to see if Bella would come out of her house and come play. Edward has been coming to his aunt and uncle's house every Saturday while his parents were working and Bella would always come over to play. But today she didn't. "Why isn't Bella here?" He asked, deflecting her request. _

"_I don't know. Come onnn." _

"_No, Alice." Edward walked away from Alice. She crossed her arms and huffed. Edward ignored her and walked out to the backyard where Esme was pulling some weeds from her garden. "Aunt Esme?" Edward called. _

"_Yes, Edward?" _

"_Why isn't Bella here?" _

"_I am not exactly sure, honey. She hasn't been here for a couple of days." _

"_Well can we go over and see if she is home?" _

"_Sure." She got up from the ground and took her gardening gloves off. She walked after Edward into the house, and walked to the bottom of the steps. "Carlilse!" She called. _

"_Yes!"_

"_I am going with Edward to Bella's real quick. Alice is down here watching TV and you have Emmett right?" _

"_Yup, we are playing video games." _

_Esme smiled. "Okay we will be right back." Esme opened the door and Edward walked out first. He ran ahead of Esme and ran to the door. He knocked, but no one answered. He knocked some more. No one was answering. _

"_Bella!" Edward called through the door. "Bella!" He kept on knocking on the door. _

"_Edward slow down with the knocking and yelling." Esme told him. It must have worked though, because they heard someone unlocking it on the other side. Esme and Edward gasped when they saw a pale and sick looking Bella open it. _

_Bella gave them a small smile. "Hi, guys." She rasped a gut wrenching cough immediately followed her statement. _

"_Oh Bella, are you okay, honey? Where is your mother?" Esme asked._

"_I don't know. She left last night and hasn't come back." _

"_Oh, honey." Esme stepped forward and lifted Bella into her arms. Bella rested her head on Esme's shoulder out of pure exhaustion. Esme walked into the house and picked up a throw blanket that was on the floor in the living room. She placed it over Bella so she wouldn't get cold outside. "I am going to bring you over to our house, sweetheart. We will take care of you." _

_She walked out the door; Edward was still standing on the porch. Esme locked the door and told Edward to shut it. He slammed the door shut, and walked after his aunt to the house. Bella was looking at Edward from over Esme's shoulder. She gave Edward a small smile, and reached her hand out to him. He walked faster to be closer so he could reach. He reached his hand out, and they both squeezed each other's hands tightly. _

_They held hands until Esme got in the house and started jogging up the stairs with Bella, calling Carlisle's name. Esme brought Bella to the spare bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Carlisle came running in after hearing Esme's frantic yelling for him. "What is it, Esme?" He asked, sounding nervous. _

"_Can you check on Bella, Renee left her home alone sick. Look at her!" She said gesturing to Bella who was lying on the bed limply. Carlisle got into action and walked to Bella's side. He put his hand on her forehead. He asked her a lot of questions, he asked Esme to get him a lot of things, and he was in complete doctor mode. After he was finished, he came to the conclusion that Bella just had a cold, but since she hasn't had anything to eat or drink since yesterday morning, it was taking an even worse toll on her small body. Esme and Carlisle left the room to go get some things to help Bella. _

_Edward was in the room the whole time, but he stood by the door why the grownups did their things. He walked up to the bed. He picked up Bella's hand. She turned her head to look at him. "They are going to get fluids for you, Bella. When I am sick, my Mom says I need to have a lot of fluids." _

"_Okay." Was all she said. She held onto Edward's hand tightly. "Can you stay with me, Edward?" _

"_Yeah, but one minute." He let go of her hand and ran out of the room and down the stairs. He went in his bag and got what he was looking for. He walked back up the stairs, and heard his aunt and uncle talking from their room. _

"_I can't believe she would just leave her daughter like that, Carlisle. I can't even wrap my head around it." _

"_I know Esme, it was a good thing you went over there." _

"_We have to do something, Carlisle. Talk to her or something, Bella is five years old, she doesn't need to be left alone on any day, and especially when she is sick like this." _

"_We will see what we can do." Edward stopped listening after that when he heard Bella coughing from the spare bedroom. He opened the door and closed it before going to the side of Bella's bed. He handed her the object he got from his bag; Max._

"_Here, Bella." Bella took the bear from Edward's hands and hugged it to her chest. "Maybe Max will make you feel better." She held on to the bear tightly. _

"_Thank you, Edward." Bella reached for his hand again. Edward grabbed her hand and held it on top of the bed. "Hey, Edward?" Bella asked. _

"_Yeah?" _

"_Can you come lay with me. I think if you and Max both lay with me, I will feel much better." _

"_Okay." He instantly started climbing on the bed. Bella scooted over more to give him room. Edward got under the covers with Bella. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head. They stood lying like that for a couple of minutes before Bella started shifting her position. Edward looked over to see why she was moving. Bella shifted closer to Edward and lifted her head to place it over his chest. Edward was shocked for a second, but then he remembered something his Dad would always do for him when he was sick. Edward took his right hand out from under his head, and placed it on Bella's back. He began rubbing up and down softly. Bella sighed in contentment. _

_They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Bella spoke up. "I can hear your heart beating." _

"_Well that is good because my Mom says that we need a heartbeat to stay alive." _

_Bella lifted her head and looked in Edward's eyes. "I want you to stay alive forever, Edward." _

"_I don't really know if I can, I will ask my Mom though." _

"_Okay." She rested her head back on his chest and they sat in silence once again. "If your Mom says you can't stay alive forever, can you just promise you will never leave me, and always be my friend?" _

_Edward didn't even have to think twice about it. "I promise." _

_~End Flashback~_

I kept that promise, and I never intend on breaking it.

All of a sudden, I felt my head jerk forward, and something digging into my neck. "Ow." I said loudly. I looked down and saw that Liam yanked hard on the chain around my neck. He started giggling when I said 'ow.' Great, my kid laughs at the sight of someone in pain. I lightly pinched his little nose. "Hey you little booger, that hurt." His little giggles turned into a belly laugh.

"Da!" He slapped my chest repeatedly with his little hands. The slaps were making louder noises because we were both wet. I laughed at him. I then heard the sound of someone opening the door to the bathroom. I already knew it was Bella, and she walked to us and pulled the curtain open.

"There are my boys." She said fondly with a sleepy smile on her face.

"Mama, mama, mama." Liam reached out to Bella. She held her finger out to him, and grabbed his towel from the counter. She opened the towel, and I placed Liam in it, in her arms. She wrapped it around him tightly, and he looked like a little burrito.

I pulled the curtain shut so I could wash up. That didn't work though, because right after I closed it, Bella opened it again. "Kiss me." She puckered her lips out to me. She is so adorable.

I chuckled and kissed her lips. I closed he curtain once again and started washing up. I heard Bella start picking up Liam's clean pajamas that I got out for him. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too, how was your day?" Her statement brought back the memory of how today was actually really fucking good.

"Amazing, Bella, you don't even know." I squirted some shampoo on my palm and then started massaging it into my head.

She opened the curtain again. Liam was already dressed in his pajamas and was perched on Bella's hip. He had a piece of her hair in his hand, and he played with it. "Amazing?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes, love, amazing." I smiled at her.

"Well what happened to make it so amazing? Every other day I ask about your day, you say 'fine' or 'good'."

"Well I wasn't offered a promotion every other day."

Her jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?"

I chuckled. "No, Mitchell offered me the job of Supervisor. I would be the youngest Supervisor that the company has ever had."

Bella squealed and jumped softly, causing Liam to giggle. "That is amazing, baby!" She looked over to Liam. "Liam, your Daddy is a genius!" Liam had no idea what she was talking about, but he sensed the excitement in the air and just started clapping his hands. Bella and I both laughed at him. Bella had that smile on her face when she looked back at me. "What are you doing, Edward? Get out of that shower right now so I can hug and kiss you. I am so proud of you, baby!" I rinsed the rest of the soap off of my body and stepped out of the shower. Bella walked with Liam to the bedroom. I wrapped the towel around my waist, and walked out after them.

I shut the door to the bathroom, and was attacked by a 5-foot-4 beautiful woman. She jumped in my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist. She wrapped her arms around my neck and placed many kisses on my face. I looked over her shoulder and saw Liam on the floor smiling up at us. "I am so proud of you, Edward. This is so great!"

"So you think I should take it?" She pulled away to look at my face. I still held her up in my arms. Her legs were still wrapped around my waist.

"What? Of course you should! You love your job, why wouldn't you take it?" She looked genuinely confused.

"Well I may have to work more hours, and Liam is still a baby."

"You don't have to worry about us, Edward. We will be fine, and I am sure you won't be working that much."

"Yeah it would probably just be an extra two hours a day."

"So you are going to do it?"

"Yes." I smiled widely because this was really something I wanted to do, and was looking forward to. She squealed and then kissed me hard on the lips. She dropped her legs from around my waist and landed on her feet. Our kiss was cut short by Liam yelling for us. Bella took her lips off of mine and turned to pick up Liam.

"Come on, little boy, come join me in showing your Daddy just how much we love him and how proud we are." She walked over to me and into my arms. I wrapped my arms around the both of them and sighed contentedly. I looked down and saw that smile again on Bella's lips. I wanted to keep that smile there forever.

Too bad it didn't stay there for long after that.

* * *

**I hope you all liked the chapter! I will try and update as soon as I can, but I have a busy week ahead, so it probably won't be for a couple of days. **

**Review please! **


	6. Chapter 5: Rule

_**Chapter 5: Rule  
Wednesday, December 25, 2002**_

_**EPOV**_

I woke with a start.

I wasn't dreaming…no, I was just realizing. Subconsciously I was realizing what today is. Bella wasn't disturbed by my sudden movement as she was still sleeping on my bare chest. I turned my head to look at the clock on the bedside table. 3:06 a.m. I took a deep breath, and knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. I wormed my way out of Bella's arms. I quickly moved a pillow to the place I was just occupying. Thankfully Bella clutched onto it and stood sleeping. I pulled the comforter up higher to her shoulders since she was indeed naked, and I didn't want her to freeze. I kissed her head softly.

I opened the middle drawer of my bureau slowly so the noise wouldn't wake Bella. I put on a pair of plaid flannel pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt. I grabbed the baby monitor from the bedside table before walking out of the room. I might as well keep it with me since I am already awake, so if Liam wakes up, I can just take care of him instead of Bella having to wake up. I stopped in front of Liam's door. The door was cracked open, so I opened it slowly and walked through. I walked up to his crib and smiled at my sweet boy. He was sleeping on his back and he had his hands behind his head. His mouth was closed, and he was breathing slowly out of his nose. I smiled because that was the same way I used to sleep when I was little. I still sleep that way. I bent over his crib to kiss his forehead. I quietly walked out of his room and walked to the living room.

I really didn't know what to do with myself. There is never anything good on TV at this time. I looked over at the Christmas tree in the corner. I smiled thinking about the disaster it was having an 11-month old help with decorating a tree. He ended up throwing two ornaments across the room, ultimately causing them to break. I was expecting Bella to get mad, but she just laughed and chastised him for throwing as firmly as she could.

I made my way to the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. I was tired, but I knew I would never fall asleep. Might as well have some caffeine to keep me up. I opened to door to the deck at the far end of the kitchen. I felt a cool breeze when the door opened, causing goose bumps to form all over my arms. It was cold, but not too cold, so I decided to do something I once did on a Christmas morning. But I wasn't alone then.

I got a blanket, and waited for my coffee to be done. Once it was, I walked out to the deck and put my coffee down on the small table near one of the deck chairs. I put the blanket around my arms and sat down. I adjusted the chair and relaxed against it. I sipped my coffee and just looked out to our backyard. I could hear random birds chirping, but other than that, there was just silence.

As I sat there, I allowed myself to think about that night. I did this every year. I have been able to deal with it better over the years. The love of my family and Bella has been my driving force. I was in therapy for a while because I was young, but it was really just that love that got me through. Got me through the memory of that night…

_~Flashback~_

"_Daddy." Edward whispered while he tugged on his father's shirt. He didn't stir at all. "Daadddyyy." Edward tugged on his shirt and started shaking his father's sleeping form even more. Finally Ed started to wake up. _

_He squinted his eyes at his son. "Edward? What is the matter, buddy? Did you have a bad dream?" _

_Edward rolled his eyes. "No Dad, its Christmas! Santa brought me presents! I saw them!" He said excitedly. Ed smiled and ruffled Edward's hair. But when he looked over at the clock he groaned. _

"_Oh, buddy, can't you just go to sleep for a little while longer? It is only five in the morning." _

"_Nooo." Edward whined. "I can't go back to sleep, Daddy! Please can you and Mommy come downstairs so I can open my gifts?" _

_Ed sighed loudly. Him and Elizabeth were up late last night from wrapping all of Edward's gifts from 'Santa'. Edward wasn't in bed until 10 and it took them a couple of hours to wrap the gifts after he finally fell asleep. He looked over his shoulder and saw that his wife was still sleeping, and he didn't want to disturb her, but he also knew that Edward would not give up. _

"_Alright, I will get up with you, son. But we won't open your presents yet." _

"_What? Why?" Edward whined once again. _

"_Because your mom needs to sleep for a little longer, it is very early. How about we just have some father-son time, and then we can wake your mother up in an hour and a half." _

_Edward wasn't to excited about the idea because he really wanted to open his presents, but some alone time with his Dad sounded nice because he never really got to see him because of his work. He sighed loudly. "All right."_

_Ed got out of bed, and led Edward down the stairs. He grabbed two blankets, and made himself a cup of coffee, and Edward a cup of hot chocolate. He put Edward's hot chocolate in one of his mugs, because Edward thought it was cool to drink out of a 'grown up cup'. Once both cups were made, Ed grabbed Edward's hand, and led him out to the back yard. They had a really big house, and lived on a big strip of land, and there was a small lake in the back. Ed set up chairs over there for the summer time, and sat down in the biggest one. He swung one of the blankets around his shoulders and beckoned for Edward to sit in his lap. Edward crawled up, and rested his back against his father's chest. Edward put his Power Ranger blanket over himself, and Ed wrapped his arms around Edward, making his warmer with the blanket he had wrapped around the both of them. _

"_Dad," _

"_Hmm?" Ed had his eyes closed, just soaking in the moment. At total and complete peace with himself and the world. _

"_I can't drink my drink like this." _

_Ed chuckled and kissed Edward's head. "It's alright; it is too hot to drink right now anyway." Edward nodded his head and looked at the light ripples on the lake. _

"_Hey, Dad?" _

"_Yes?"_

"_I have a question." _

"_Okay, you know you can ask me anything." _

"_Why did you marry Mom?" _

"_Because I love her, Edward."_

"_Well, I love Bella, but does that mean I have to marry her?" Ed smiled at Edward's innocence._

"_No, you are still pretty young to make that decision." _

_Edward sighed a huge sigh of relief. "Good, because I don't want to kiss Bella on the lips. I would die." _

_Ed led out a long and loud laugh. Of course Edward would say that. He is six. He kissed the top of Edward's head. "I assure you, you would not die, bud." _

"_Yeah but that is so gross." _

"_It may seem like it now, but trust me, you will change your mind." Edward shook his head frantically. Ed laughed. "One day you will marry someone Edward and you will kiss them. One day you will find a woman that you will fall madly in love with. But you need to make sure she loves you too though, because that is what you deserve. Your world will revolve around her, and you will be the best husband any girl could ever dream of having." _

"_How do you be a husband? Do you just have to kiss her everyday like you and Mom do?" _

"_Well no, there is more to it. You need to love her. Cherish her. You need to protect her. Defend her. Take care of her…"_

"_Oh my gosh, this sounds like a lot of work." Edward interrupted. Ed laughed loudly. _

"_It is, but it is worth it in the end, trust me." They sat in silence once again. Both just enjoying the quiet time together. Soon, they were interrupted by Edward's words. _

"_I would ask Bella to marry me, but then I would tell her she can never kiss me or we will get a divorce."_

* * *

"_Do we have to stay at Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlilse's long? I really want to ride the new bike Santa got me!" Edward asked from the back seat. He had his new Trouble game from his parents that he was bringing with him to play with Alice, Emmett, and hopefully Bella. _

"_We are spending the day with our family, Edward. You can play with your bike tomorrow." Edward told him as he pulled into the street where Carlisle and Esme lived. _

_Edward sighed loudly. "Alright." When they finally got to the house, they were all greeted with hugs and kisses from Carlisle and Esme. Edward ran off to find Bella. He found Emmett and Alice along the way. They were both distracted though. Emmett was playing his new Atari game and Alice was brushing the hair of all her new Barbie dolls. They both said hi to Edward, but otherwise ignored him. Edward walked up to his Aunt Esme who was sitting in the living room talking to his parents. _

"_Edward? Do you need something, honey?" _

"_Is Bella coming over?" _

_Esme smiled, because she knew Edward would ask about Bella, those two were inseparable. "No, sorry she is at her house, she is spending the day with her family on Christmas." Edward nodded his head and walked away. He was not happy with what he was told. He didn't know Bella really had any family. He only met her Mom a couple of times, and only saw Phil, and never actually met him. Bella never talked about aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents. Edward decided to do something he knew he would get in trouble for if he was caught. He needed to see Bella and give her the Christmas present he got her. _

_He checked to see no one was looking and opened the front door quietly. He ran over to Bella's front porch. He knocked on the door frantically, he hoped Bella's Mom and Phil weren't home, or else he will be in big trouble. Seconds later Bella opened the door. _

"_Edward!" She squealed and hugged him tightly. Edward hugged her back. "Merry Christmas!" She said excitedly and then dragged Edward into the house. "Come and see what my Mom and Phil got me!" She ran to the couch and picked up two objects. She held the first one out to Edward. It was a Barbie doll that's hair was sticking up all over the place. She had a big black mark on her cheek, and she had a toilet paper dress on. _

"_Why is she wearing toilet paper?" Edward asked. _

"_Well because she didn't come with a dress, so I made her one. You don't think it's cool?" Bella's excitement started to disintegrate when she saw Edward wasn't sharing her excitement. _

"_Uh yeah it's cool." Edward said, only to not hurt her feelings, and just like that, the smile reappeared on Bella's face. "Why does she have a black mark on her face?" _

_She shrugged. "Phil said she was sick. So I am going to take care of her." Edward nodded his head even though he didn't exactly understand. Bella reached over, and grabbed her other gift. She handed it to Edward. "My Mom got me this, it's a yoyo. I don't know how to use it yet, but I am trying to learn." _

_Edward nodded his head. "I don't know how either." He handed the yellow yoyo back to Bella, and she clutched it in her hand. "So what did Santa get you?" _

_Bella looked down at the yoyo and started playing with the string. She was avoiding looking at Edward to hide her disappointment and sadness. "Oh…uh he didn't come to my house." _

"_What? Why?" Edward was confused. Santa was supposed to come when little children were nice, and not bad. Bella was not bad. She always said 'please' and 'thank you'. Aunt Esme never had to yell at Bella for misbehaving like she does to himself, Emmett, and Alice. Bella cleans the house for her Mom and Phil. Bella was Edward's best friend, and was always nice to him. Edward thought Bella was good, even better than himself, so it didn't make sense to him that Bella wouldn't get any gifts from Santa. _

_Bella shrugged. "Phil said I wasn't good enough this year." She sat down on the couch with her shoulders slumped. "I will just try harder this year." _

_Edward sat down next to Bella. "But you are so much nicer than me, Bella! Remember that time there was a bug in my room, and I wanted to kill it." _

"_Yeah, that was not nice." _

"_But you didn't want to kill it. That is nicer than killing it." Edward's voice was rising because he was mad, he was mad that Santa would be so mean and not get Bella anything for Christmas. "So why didn't he get you anything?" _

"_I don't know, Edward!" Bella yelled. Her face was getting red, and a tear fell down her small cheeks. "I don't know why." She said softly and buried her face in her hands as she cried. Edward put his hand on Bella's back and rubbed it like his Mom does whenever he is crying. _

"_Don't cry, Bella. My heart hurts when you cry." _

_Bella lifted her head and looked into the eyes of her best friend. She took deep breaths and tried to stop crying. She didn't want Edward to be sad because of her. "Okay, I'm sorry." _

"_Well I got you something." Edward told her as he got it out of his pocket. _

"_But I didn't get you anything, Edward." Bella said frantically, almost starting to cry again because she felt bad. _

_Edward shrugged. "I don't care; I got enough stuff for Christmas." He handed Bella the small, pink and black string bracelet. "It's a friendship bracelet. I have one to, but it is green and black because I am not a girl." He took the green one out of his pocket. He set it down beside him, and put Bella's on her wrist. _

"_Thank you, Edward!" She said excitedly. "This is my favorite Christmas gift I have ever gotten!" She launched herself at Edward and hugged him. "Here, let me put yours on." She picked up Edward's bracelet, and put it on his wrist. She launched herself back at Edward, and he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Edward. You are the bestest friend in the whole world." _

"_I love you too, Be-."_

"_EDWARD! EDWARD!" He jumped from Bella's arms and off the couch when he heard his Mom yelling for him. He grabbed Bella's hand, and dragged her with him to the front door. He opened it and ran out to see his Mom and Dad running out of his Aunt Esme's house. _

"_Mom! Dad!" Edward called. Both of their heads whipped in his direction. Elizabeth gasped and sobbed on her way running toward Edward. She fell to her knees in front of him and squeezed him close to her body. _

"_Oh Edward! Don't you ever, ever do that to me again. What were you thinking? Me and your father thought we lost you."_

"_I just wanted to see Bella." He said, like it was a perfect excuse for him to sneak out of the house without telling anyone. _

"_That doesn't matter." He heard his father's harsh word's coming from behind his mother. He looked behind his shoulder and found his Dad standing there with his arms crossed, and a red face. He was angry. _

"_But Dad…" _

"_But nothing." He shouted. Elizabeth let go of Edward and stood next to Ed. "Do you have any idea how worried your mother and I were? You know better than to leave the house without an adult." _

"_Bella was by herself!" _

"_That is no excuse, Edward. There is no excuse for what you have done. Now you go inside and get your stuff and meet us in the car. We are going home, and we will talk about your punishment."_

"_What?" Edward asked. _

"_Look, Ed it wasn't his fault, it was mine." Bella said and stepped closer to Ed. _

"_Edward makes his own decisions Isabella. Why don't you go back home for now." Ed said; he was really upset. _

_Bella nodded her head and turned back towards her house. "Wait!" Edward yelled. He turned to his father. "No one is home. You can't let her be home alone without family on Christmas." _

_Ed was mad, but not so mad that he didn't realize the injustice of a six year old having to spend Christmas by herself. "Well Bella, I am sure Esme will let you go to her house. But we are leaving." _

"_Yes, come on over, Bella." Esme called from the porch. Bella and Edward both gave each other knowing looks. Bella rubbed her bracelet and Edward did the same. She ran past Edward and his parents to Carlisle and Esme on the porch. "Here Edward, I got you your stuff." Esme said, and handed him the Trouble game, and Max. _

"_Bye, Bella." He said softly before walking to his parent's car where they were already inside waiting. He placed the trouble game on the floor of the car, and held Max in his lap after he put on his seat belt. He looked out the window, waiting for his punishment. _

"_So you do know we have to punish you for this, right honey?" Elizabeth said as she turned in her seat to face Edward. _

"_I know you are going to punish me. But I think it's stupid." _

"_Watch your mouth, young man." Ed said and gave Edward a quick pointed look through the rearview mirror. Edward just shrugged and crossed his arms, holding Max tighter to his chest. "You are punished for two weeks, Edward. No television at home or at your Aunt and Uncles, and you have to go to bed at eight instead of eight-thirty for the next two weeks, starting tonight."_

"_But why?" Edward whined. _

"_You know why, Edward. Me and Daddy have told you time and time again to never leave the house without us. It is a rule and you broke it. We were both so scared, honey. You may not understand why it was such a big deal now, but you will one day, when you have children of your own." _

"_I just think it is because you don't love me." Edward huffed and looked out the window. _

_Elizabeth gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. "Jesus." Ed mumbled. He reached over and grabbed Elizabeth's hand to calm her down, while also trying to force down his own pain in hearing those words from his son. No matter how much he knew Edward was only saying this because he was mad, it still hurt to hear your child doubt your love for them. _

"_Edward Anthony Cullen, I don't want to hear those words come out of your mouth ever again, do you hear me?" Ed said. _

_Edward just defiantly kept his gaze out the window, giving his parents no knowledge that he heard what they were saying. "Edward, honey, we do this _because _we love you. We love you more than anything, baby, and we just want you to be safe…" Elizabeth was unable to finish her sentence because of the sudden whip of her head. _

_Edward saw as his mother's head whipped to the side. He heard the screeching of tires. He heard the screaming of his mother. He felt himself spinning. He became dizzy. He could hear his father yelling. _

"_Cover your head! Cover you head, Edward!" Edward listened to his father; he ducked his head and made a shield around his head with both of his arms. The next words out of Ed's mouth were his last. "Save my son, please God save my son." _

* * *

_Edward woke up from what he thought was sleep…but he was in too much pain. He opened his eyes and lifted his head. All he could see was the bottom of trees, grass, and dirt. He tried to move his arm, but yelped in pain when he did. Tears began falling down his cheeks because of the pain. He was trapped in the car and couldn't get out. _

"_Mommy? Daddy?" He asked weakly. He looked for them, but he couldn't see much. He looked to the front seats, but couldn't see past the seats themselves. Edward looked around more, and screamed at what he saw. _

_Blood._

_Blood on the windshield. Blood on the dashboard. Blood on the radio. _

_He looked straight in front of him and saw Max lying there. _

_Blood. _

_Blood all over Max. _

_Edward screamed and screamed. He screamed until his sobs overtook him. _

"_Help! Help!" He yelled repeatedly. There was no help. He cried and cried, before everything went black again._

~_End Flashback~_

I woke up in the hospital. Doctors and nurses were all around me, spouting off words that didn't make any sense to me. I kept asking for my parents. I asked, and asked, and asked, but they all ignored me. I kicked and screamed. I remembered the blood. The doctors and nurses held me down because I was so hysterical. One of the nurses finally told me about my parents. Not like I wanted to hear it, but she did. She told me they were dead. That didn't help my situation and they sedated me.

I only had a broken arm and a few cuts and bruises. I went home that night with my aunt and uncle. I remember they asked me if I wanted to watch TV. I told them no, because I was on punishment. I went to the guest room and cried. My aunt came in and tried to console me. I didn't want her to though. She looked like my Mom. I didn't want Carlisle either because he was a doctor and the doctors scared me in the hospital.

I asked for Bella.

Bella came over, and stayed with me. She stayed with me like I did for her when she was sick, except that time I had my head on her chest and I cried a lot. Bella was with me that whole time. She hugged me, told me she loved me, told me everything was going to be okay, she was my savior. At six years old, Bella had already become my rock.

The funeral was horrible. The whole situation was horrible. The whole situation was fucked up. My parents didn't deserve to die. They were amazing people. It wasn't fair.

The tears finally started falling down my face. I knew they were coming. They were inevitable today. I don't spend the whole day moping like I used to in the beginning. Bella made me realize that it was alright to cry about it and get sad, but she also reminded me that my parents wouldn't want me to be miserable. My parents died on Christmas, but it was still a holiday. It was a day to get the family together and have fun.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. My watery eyes met Bella's. She brought her hand out and stroked my cheek, wiping the tears that were falling. A sob broke out of my chest.

"Oh Edward…" Bella said softly, and sat down in my lap sideways. She pulled my head to her chest, and I wrapped my arms around her. She had one hand stroking my hair, and the other rubbing my back. Her gentleness made me love her even more, but also made me cry more. I knew I could cry here, I could cry in Bella's arms. I was safe here.

"Bella…I…" I couldn't finish because I was crying so hard.

"Shh, my love." Bella said in my ear. She kissed the top of my hair. "It's okay, Edward. I wish I could take this pain away from you, baby. I would take it away in a second. I am here for you. Just let it out." I cried for a while. I finally started calming down, and Bella still held me close.

"Thank you, Bella."

"You know you have nothing to thank me for, Edward. I love you more than life itself, and I want to be there for you whenever you need me."

"I love you, too." We stayed sitting in silence, until I heard the voice of my boy.

"Mamaaaaa….Dadddyyy…" I smiled when I heard his little voice, and I felt immensely better. We both smiled at each other when we heard both of our reason for living calling for us.

I knew no matter what, if I had Bella and Liam, I would be okay.

Liam had a great first Christmas. We all had a great Christmas. We all went to Emmett's house. The whole family was there. Liam looked handsome in his blue button up. He was wearing a clip on tie that was red, with blue stripes that matched his shirt. His shirt was tucked into his jeans. And he was wearing a new pair of black Oxfords.

Liam loved all of his gifts, but I think he liked the boxes and wrapping paper more. He ripped every piece of wrapping paper into little pieces, and he liked to put the boxes over his head. He got a lot of presents between everyone in our family and it was all around a great and fun day.

The calm before the storm, I guess you could call it.

* * *

**So now you know what happened with Edward's parents. It is a pretty sad story, but I am sure that was expected since you knew they were dead. I would appreciate if you gave me your thoughts on this one because I was nervous about it.**

**Not quite sure when the next chapter will be out, because I am going to start working on another outtake for my other story, What Really Matters, but it will be soon. **

**Review please! **


	7. Chapter 6: Don't Leave

_**Chapter 6: Don't Leave  
January 13, 2003**_

EPOV

My leg was bouncing in its place. My hair must have looked like a rat's nest with the way my hands have been running through it and pulling it. My hand was cramping from how many times I have signed my name and edited shit in the past three hours.

Normally I loved my job. I liked being here and working. Of course I missed Bella and Liam when I was away, but I also liked that I was providing for my family without having to be miserable about it. I know a lot of people who get stuck in a job that they hate. Some people don't wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work. I do.

But today, this was the last place I wanted to be. I wanted to be home all day with Bella and Liam. I wanted to blow up balloons, stash presents, help decorate, and spend the day with my son.

It is Liam's first birthday today.

It blew my mind that it was a year ago that he was born. It was crazy how much he grew in that short amount of time, and how smart he was. He was already walking. He still fell down a lot, but he did a pretty good job of getting from point A to B. His vocabulary was growing. He only said 'Mommy', 'Daddy', 'no', and 'juice', but that was an improvement, and probably way more than some kids his age said, I'm just saying.

Anyway, since it was a Monday, I still have to stay at work. I already told Mitchell ahead of time that I was going to leave early today. I am leaving at one, and it was 10 now. I swear someone slowed down the clocks or something. I don't know why, but I felt guilty that I wasn't with him the whole day. I mean, it was the first ever birthday he would celebrate. Even though I know he won't even remember this day, I will remember it, and I feel bad that I am not there.

I am sure I will feel better though, later on. Bella was having a small party with our immediate family. Which includes Emmett, Rosalie, Emma, Nick, Jasper, pregnant Alice, and my Mom and Dad. I know it is kind of weird that I call Carlisle and Esme my mother and father, but they have been that to me. About a year after my parent's death, I was already in therapy for a year. Therapy really helped, and I began to accept my parent's deaths. I began to feel left out living with Carlisle and Esme. Alice and Emmett would always call them Mom and Dad, and I felt like an outcast. Because of the way I felt, I started acting out. When my therapist asked why I was acting bad, and I told her how I felt left out, she thought it would be good for me to start calling them Mom and Dad.

At first I refused, because I thought my parents would be mad at me. But I continued to feel left out and started acting out more. I got in more trouble, and then finally decided to try it. It was weird at first, but I was used to it now. I knew who my real parents were, and I will always love them, but I also knew that Carlisle and Esme were very important parental figures in my life. I remember when I told Bella how it was weird calling them Mom and Dad when I was about seven, and she just said she thought it was cool and that I was lucky to have two sets of parents that loved me. That helped me a lot when I thought of it like that.

I heard a knock on my door. "Come in." I yelled as I signed my name once again. I looked up and saw Karen walk in with a huge stack of papers.

I threw my arms up. "What the fuck?" Yeah, I know, I am very professional, but it was just Karen.

She laughed. "Suck it up, Mr. Supervisor."

I rolled my eyes. "Well do any of these need to be done by today, because I would really like to get home by one."

"I would really like to get home by one." She mocked me. I glared at her and she laughed. "These aren't due till next week, so don't get your panties in a bunch."

I rolled my eyes at her and she stuck her tongue out at me. My phone rang, and I answered it while still laughing at her. "Edward Cullen."

"Hey, honey! What's so funny?"

I smiled at hearing her voice. "Karen being weird."

"Oh! Tell her I said hi."

"Bella says hi." I said to Karen.

"Tell her I said 'what's up girl'!"

"You heard that right?" There was no way I was saying that. I would just feel weird. And of course, the both of them knew I wouldn't be comfortable saying that so they just laughed at me. _Women._ Where is my son when I need him?

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." Bella said with a laugh. Karen was laughing as well.

"Ha. Ha. You both are so funny." They both kept on laughing. "Alright, Karen, get out of my office and get back to work. And Bella, what did you call for, dear."

She laughed softly. "I really freaking love you. Did you know that, Edward?" I smiled.

"I know; I love you, too." I couldn't stop smiling, hearing her so happy.

* * *

"Edward! Can you get the door?" Bella called from upstairs where she was getting Liam dressed for his party. I put down the remote and walked to open the front door. I barely even got a glimpse of who it was before I was attacked. My Mom had a death grip around my neck, and I saw my Dad smiling over her shoulder.

"Hey Edward!" She pulled away and kissed me on the cheek. "Where is the birthday boy?"

"Bella is getting him dressed, come on in." I put my arm out, and they both walked in as Bella was walking down the stairs with a smiling Liam on her hip. He was wearing a black onesie that had a white tie on it. There was a guitar in the middle of the tie. He had on blue jeans with his black and white hi-top Converse. My kid is cool.

He reached out of Bella's arms and reached for my Mom. She squealed and grabbed him from Bella's arms. "There is my beautiful grandson! Can you say Nana…Nana, Nana." He was really paying attention to her mouth when she was saying Nana. He even started moving his lips in the same movement, but he didn't get the word out. It will only be a matter of time before he got it, I'm sure.

My Dad went and put his gift on the pile of gifts in the corner, while my Mom brought Liam into the living room. Bella wrapped her arms around my waist from my side. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "Did you see him trying to say it?" She asked.

"I did."

"He is so smart. He must get it from me." She pinched my side before walking after my mother. I caught her before she could get too far and pulled her to my chest.

"That wasn't very nice." I said as I lightly bit her shoulder.

"Ow! Too bad. It was scientifically proven that woman are smarter than men. Get over it."

"Um, that is debatable."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, you are sexier than me." She kissed me and I kissed her back. I brought my hands to either side of her face, and kissed her with all my might. I was blissful seeing her joking around and laughing and just being happy. She has been this way for over a year now, but today I feel was a big milestone for her. I honestly didn't think she was going to last without a single drink for Liam's first year. I sure did hope and pray that she did, but I never thought it was possible, since she was so hung up on it. But I am glad she did, and now I was hopeful that this really was a thing in the past.

We were interrupted when the doorbell rang again. "Later." I whispered into her ear. Bella opened the door, and let Emmett, Rosalie, Emma, and Nick in. Both of the kids said a quick hi to both me and Bella before running into the living room where Liam was. All of them were close, and Emma and Nick especially adored Liam because he was the smallest, and in their opinion, the cutest. I gave Rose a kiss on the cheek and shook Emmett's hand. Mine and Emmett's relationship has grown a lot since Liam was born, and Bella has been sober.

"What's up, bro?" Emmett asked.

"Nothing, just pretty excited but sad that Liam is one."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Pretty soon you are going to be sending him off to college."

I shuddered. "Don't talk like that, Emmett."

He laughed and patted me on the back. We all gathered in the living room and had a great time. Bella had toys out for the kids and the adults just sat back and talked about how great our life was going. Alice arrived a little late and more pregnant than ever. Alice was seven months pregnant with twins. It was weird to see her that way because she was always such a small little thing, and now she was still small, but with a huge stomach in her way. She still looked beautiful though.

We ordered pizza, and laughed at Liam and Nick's dirty faces as they ate the pizza with their hands. They were all greasy by the end of it, but they both had fun. Bella turned on some music when we were all finished eating, and I laughed along with the rest of the room watching Liam 'dance'. Liam's form of dancing included having his little hands clasped in front of him, and bouncing up and down in place. He was laughing the whole time, and would move faster the more we laughed and cheered him on.

"Baby, can you go down to the cellar and get the cake out of the fridge down there?" Bella asked from my side. My eyes were trained on Liam who was now touching Alice's stomach. I turned to Bella, kissed her on the nose, and nodded. I got up from the couch and headed to the door that led to the cellar. I was distracted on the way there though, when I saw another car pull up in front of the house. We weren't expecting anyone else, and I don't know anyone with a big black Escalade. I stopped in front of the window near the door to see who came out.

I was surprised to see a pretty fucking huge man get out of the driver's seat. He was bald, with tattoos on his head, and all along his arms. His arms were probably as thick as my head, and I was still confused as to why this big intimidating man was parked in front of my house.

All of my confusion went away though when I saw who came out of the passenger door.

A woman I hoped to never see again.

A woman who used to talk down on Bella.

A woman who used to hit Bella.

A woman that was the reason Bella began drinking in the first place.

That woman was Bella's mother, Renee.

~_Flashback~_

_**8 Years old**_

"_Edward, make sure you brush your teeth before you go to bed!" _

"_Okay, Mom." Edward ran the rest of the way up the stairs and into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth with his racecar toothbrush. After he was finished, he ran into his room and got under the covers. He picked up the picture of him and his parents on his sixth birthday. He traced his deceased parent's smiling faces, and tried not to cry. He put the picture back on his bedside table and lied back on his bed. He put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't very tired. _

_He sat in silence for a while before he heard a tapping on his window. At first he was scared, but then he just decided to see what it was. He pulled the curtain over, and was surprised to see Bella. He opened the window, and pulled the screen up with it. _

"_What are you doing here, Bella?" He whispered loudly. "You could get hurt!" She was balancing on the tree outside his window. _

"_I'm sorry." She said. Edward noticed her red puffy eyes, and the tear stains on her cheeks. "I can leave." _

"_No! Come in, but be really quiet." _

"_Can you help me?" She asked. Edward nodded his head and put his arms out to her. He wrapped his arms under her arms and pulled her towards him. He got her inside, and closed the window. He turned and saw Bella already sitting on his bed. _

"_Are you okay, Bella?" He was still standing near the window. Bella lifted her head. Her lip was quivering, so she bit it to hold back the tears both of them knew were coming. _

_She shook her head. "No." She choked out. Edward walked closer to her. He sat down on the bed next to her. _

"_What's the matter?" _

"_Phil left, and it's my fault." _

"_Why? What did you do?" _

"_I don't know. My Mom says I was too much baggage or something. I don't even know what that means, but it is my fault." A tear fell from her eye, but she quickly wiped it away. _

"_It's not your fault, Bella." Edward scooted closer, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. _

_She nodded her head vehemently. "Yes it is. If I wasn't, then why did my Mom yell and hit me?" She said loudly. More tears fell, she kept wiping them away. _

"_Shh, Bella, we could get in trouble." She sniffled, and kept on wiping away her tears. "Why did your Mom hit you? Where did she hit you?" Edward's voice was raising despite what he just told Bella. He was getting mad. _

_She pointed to the back of her head. "She slapped me here, and kicked me on my shin." _

"_Let me see it." Bella scooted further on the bed and brought her right leg up. She lifted her pant leg, and sure enough, there was a blue bruise forming on her pale white shin. Edward gasped. "Oh my goodness, Bella. We need to tell my Mom." Edward started to get down from the bed, but Bella grabbed his shirt. _

"_You can't tell anyone, Edward. Promise me you won't tell anyone. My Mom would get so mad at you…and me." She plead with him. The tears continued to fall from her eyes, and she gave up on trying to stop them. "Please, Edward." _

_Edward's shoulders slumped. "Okay, I promise." He sat back down on the bed with Bella. He gently put his hand over Bella's bruise. "Does it hurt?" _

"_Only a little bit now." They sat in silence, and Edward rubbed his hand gently over her bruise. It was hot under his fingers. Edward knew what his Mom used to do whenever he got a bruise or a cut. He didn't know if it was just his Mom who could make it work, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to try. He took his hand off of her leg. Bella still had tears falling from her eyes and her eyes shot to Edward when he stopped. His cold hands were a welcome feeling on her aching wound. Bella was shocked when Edward leaned his head down, and placed a feather soft kiss over her bruise. _

_Bella's face was flushed, even though she didn't know why. Edward pulled away, and gave a shy smile to Bella. "My Mom used to always kiss my boo-boos better. Did it work?" _

_Bella's tears were never ending. She nodded her head. "Yeah, it worked." She scooted closer to Edward. She leaned her head over on his shoulder. "Thank you, Edward." _

"_You're welcome." He put his arms around Bella again, she snuggled closer. Edward was the only one these days that ever showed Bella any affection and she basked in it. "Don't cry, Bella, you know it…" _

"_It hurts your heart when I cry. I know. I'm sorry." She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. She was safe now. She was better now. She was with Edward. _

_**13 Years Old **_

_Bella threw her pencil down on the table. "I can't do this, Edward." _

"_Yes you can, Bella. You are really smart. All you have to do is move the decimal place two places to the left." _

"_But there isn't even a decimal there!" _

"_You have to pretend there is one." _

"_Whatever. I am never going to pass 8__th__ grade anyway." _

"_Yes you are, Bella. You just have to concentrate. I am going to help you." Bella just shrugged her shoulders, and pulled her sleeves down over her wrists where the bruises were. They were from last night when Bella tried to run away from Renee and go into her room. Renee caught her around the wrist and didn't let go for a long time, causing the bruises to form. Edward caught her trying to cover them up, and tried to hold down the bile that was rising in his throat. Renee has been hitting Bella for a long time now. He wanted nothing more than to protect her, but there really wasn't much he could do. The best he could do, is allow Bella to come in his room at night, and kiss each of her wounds better. _

_Edward was pulled out of his thoughts by Bella snapping her fingers in front of his face. "Earth to Edward." _

"_Sorry." _

"_What were you thinking about?" _

_Edward shrugged. "Nothing really." _

"_Hey, wasn't that so funny today, when Mike farted in front of the whole class?" _

_Edward burst out laughing. It really was funny. They had to present their projects in Science class about photosynthesis. Mike was partnered with Lauren, and he must have been really nervous, because he let it rip in front of the whole class. When it happened, of course, Bella didn't laugh. She hated when people made fun of other people. Edward couldn't help himself, and laughed right along with the rest of the class. Bella slapped his arm when he was laughing, but he couldn't help it. He was actually surprised she brought it up. It must have been because she wanted to get his mind off of whatever he was thinking about. _

"_That was classic." Bella let out a small laugh. She instantly stopped laughing though when she heard a car door open from outside of the house. Edward didn't hear the car door, but he just panicked when he say Bella's blank, pale face. "What, what is it?" He shook her shoulder a little bit to get her attention. _

"_You need to leave. Now." Bella started scrambling to get Edward's stuff together. _

"_What? Why? What is going on, Bella?" _

"_You need to leave, Edward. I don't want her to get mad at you that you are here. She may make you stay away from me; forbid me to ever see you again. I need you, Edward." Bella's hands began shaking thinking about the outcome of what could happen if her Mom caught Edward in the house. Edward came over every day after school, but Renee was never home. _

"_Who?" _

"_My Mom." Edward finally realized what could happen if he was caught. It all depended on Renee's mood anyway. Bella handed him his backpack already filled with his papers and books. _

"_Just come with me." He plead. Bella was debating on whether to go, but it was too late by then. The door swung open, and in came a giggling, and drunk, Renee. Behind her was a skinny little man with sunken in cheeks, and red hair. _

"_Bellllaaaa" Renee slurred in a loud voice. Edward was just about to bring them to the back door when Renee walked into the kitchen and saw the both of them. They were too late. Renee stopped in the doorway and the man she was with wrapped his arms around her from the back. He licked up and down Renee's neck, and slipped his hands under and up her shirt. Edward was baffled that they would just do that in front of Bella. "What the fuck is he doing here?" Renee shook off the man. He groaned in frustration. _

"_E-Edward was just helping me with my homework." _

"_Were you two fucking?" _

"_What? No, Mom." Bella's face turned red. Bella knew what her Mom meant, but she never even thought about doing something like that. She knew girls her age did that stuff, but she knew she wouldn't be like that. Edward really knew a lot about that stuff and he told Bella all of the bad that could come out of doing it too early. She believed everything Edward said. She listened to everything Edward said. He was the only person she totally and completely trusted. _

"_Your daughter is very pretty." The man said as he walked closer to Bella. He swiped her cheek with his filthy pointer finger. Edward walked in between them. Fury in his eyes. _

"_Don't touch her." Renee and the slime ball both started laughing at Edward. _

"_Are you serious you little prick?" Slime ball said. "Look at this kid, Renee; he looks like he wants to fight me." _

"_I will fight you. Don't touch her." Bella was struck in silence behind Edward. She wanted to tell him to stop. She wanted to tell him it was okay, and he didn't have to defend her. But she also has never felt as safe in the same room as her mother as she did now, with Edward standing in front of her. Protecting her. _

_Bella broke her silence though, when the man grabbed Edward by his shoulder's and pushed him to the side. Edward caught his balance, but he almost fell. "Leave him alone! Leave us alone!" Bella yelled._

"_Shut the fuck up, Bella. Your voice goes right through me. Honest to God, it is like a Chihuahua getting tortured to death." Bella put her head down. _

_The slime ball lifted Bella's face by grabbing her cheeks with one hand. "Brighten up, buttercup. I can make you happy." _

_Edward was back at Bella's side. He ripped slime ball's hand off of Bella's face. "Leave. Her. Alone." _

_Slime Ball laughed once again. He was laughing at them for what felt like hours. Soon, he stopped when Edward and Bella saw a hand dip in the front of his pants from behind. "Don't worry about them. I can make you happy." Bella gasped, and Edward pulled her to his chest, so her face was shielded from having to witness what was happening. Slime Ball just turned around, and they began to kiss sloppily. If you could even call it kissing, they were more like licking each other's tongues. They disappeared out of the room, and Edward's body relaxed. Bella's on the other hand remained rigid. _

"_They're gone, Bella. It's okay." At Edward's words, Bella's body began to shake with her crying and her sobs. Edward wrapped his arms tighter around Bella and she clutched tight to the back of his shirt. Her body was jerking with so much force; it caused her knees to collapse under her. Edward went down with her to make sure she didn't hurt herself. He kept his unbreakable hold around her shaking frame. "Shh, Bella. Please stop crying." Edward felt his own lump form in his throat with the helplessness he was feeling. It scared him to think Bella had to go through something similar to this every day. _

_Suddenly, Bella let go of Edward. Her eyes were frantic, and her hands moved around Edward, his sides, his stomach, his arms, and she ended at his face. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?" She kept her hands on either side of his face. She looked him dead in the eye to make sure he wasn't lying when he answered. She knew him like the back of her hand. _

"_I am fine Bella." She let out a sigh of relief. She pushed closer to Edward, and held on tightly to his neck. _

"_Thank you, Edward. Thank you so much for protecting me." _

"_Don't thank me, Bella. I love you; I am supposed to protect my best friend."_

"_I just really hate her sometimes, Edward. I know I shouldn't because she is my Mom, but I really hate her. I wish she would just be nice to me." _

"_You don't need her, Bella." _

"_But she is my Mom. I want her to at least like me a little bit." _

"_Why don't we just go to my house? You will be safe there." She nodded her head, and they both got up. Bella wrapped her arms around Edward's waist once again. _

"_I love you, Edward. Remember you promised to always be my best friend?" _

"_Yeah, I remember." _

"_Well can you promise again? I need you to always be here. You make me feel better." _

"_I promise, Bella." _

_~End Flashback~_

I panicked, and opened the front door as slowly and quietly I could. I need to get them to leave. Bella cannot, under any circumstance, see her mother here. I know if she did, it wouldn't end well, and who knows what Bella would do. He mother was a touchy subject for Bella. When she was younger, she always strived for her mother's attention. On her 14th birthday, her mother brought her out drinking. That was when it all started. Renee was nice to Bella about a month after Bella started drinking with her, and then she started treating Bella like shit again. That stuff messed with Bella's head. And I think that is where the drinking problem came from. I am no professional on alcohol, or the human brain, but I know Bella. Whenever her mother was around, Bella became depressed.

That scared the shit out of me.

I can't let her see her here; I have to make them leave.

I walked down the lawn fast, and met them halfway, right in front of Emmett's car in the driveway. She looked up when I was in front of them. "Oh, look at this, Curtis. This is the pansy I was talking to you about."

Her words went right over my head. Whatever comes out of this bitch's mouth means absolutely nothing to me. "Get off of my property."

"Last time I checked, my daughter lived here, so get the fuck out of my way." She tried to walk past me, but I put my arm out. She walked into it, but otherwise, I didn't touch her. That didn't stop the huge man that she was with from taking me by the collar, and slamming me into Emmett's car. I held in the scream of pain that was about to bubble up from my lips. I felt a stab of pain in my back. It was becoming hard to breath with the grip the guy had around my neck. The car alarm of Emmett's truck was ringing in my ear.

God, please don't make anyone walk outside. God, please keep Bella inside. God, please don't let her see her mother out here. I beg you. Please. I can't lose my Bella.

My internal pleading with God didn't work however, and I felt defeated when I saw Bella open the front door. Her eyes instantly fell upon me, and the guy who had me pinned to the car. I heard a soft 'Oh my God' leave her lips and she ran straight to me. "What the hell are you doing?" She said, her voice murderous. Her eyes on Curtis, and Curtis only. In my head, I was desperately praying that she would never turn around and see her mother standing right behind us. I prayed that Renee wouldn't say a word and just _leave. _Leave her, us, alone.

It was all in vain though. I knew it was going to happen, but it didn't hurt to hope. Hope has brought us this far, but this is where it ends.

The devil herself began laughing. I watched Bella's worried face as she had her eyes on the man's hands. The blood drained from her beautiful face. _Please love, don't leave me. It will all be okay._

Her eyes shot to mine for a minute, and all I could see was pleading. She was silently pleading with me to tell her this was a dream that her mother wasn't standing behind her. _I wish I could take it away, love._

After I was unable to grant her any comfort—which I hated—she slowly turned towards Renee. I couldn't see her face, but I heard her intake of breath.

Renee just smiled wide. "Hello, daughter. Mommy's home."

_You can get through this, Bella. Please don't leave me again, my love. _

* * *

**Uh oh! I don't really have much to say about this chapter, except I really want to know what you all think! **

**This story now has a banner created by TheRedRoseFairy which is on my profile. And Ady (Twinie on FFn; adychou on Twitter) has started a thread for this story on Twilighted so go check the both of them out! Links for both on my profile. **

**Oh, and go read "The Beauty of His Eyes" by AlexaET, and "Loner" by Nilla79. They are both great girls, and they are great writers with an amazing talent. **

**Review please! **


	8. Chapter 7: Giggle

_**Chapter 7: Giggle  
January 13, 2003**_

EPOV

I felt like I was suffocating.

It wasn't just the guy who had a tight grip around my neck. No. A big part of it was seeing Bella in front of me. I saw her hands shaking. They started shaking almost instantly when her mother spoke for the first time. She was falling apart. I could see it, even as I was standing behind her, I could see how her shoulders were slumped and how she started playing with her hands with her head down. I need to get to her.

I tried to push the guy off of me, but he just pushed me harder against the car. I grunted in pain. Bella's head whipped back to me. Yup, I was right, she is falling apart. The tears were in her eyes. Her face was red. Her bottom lip was quivering.

_Fuck._

"Let him go. Please." She plead with the man who was holding me against the car, Curtis. Curtis just laughed and slammed me back into the car. I grunted again. I swear I am going to have bruises all along my back.

"Hey! What is going on out here?" Emmett. Thank God. Emmett wasn't as big as this guy, but he was close enough. Emmett put his hand on Curtis' shoulder. "Let go of my brother, man." His voice was deadly calm. Curtis seemed surprised.

"Just let him go, Curtis. We don't need the baby to piss his pants." Renee said.

"Don't talk about him like that." Bella shot at her mother. Curtis finally let me go. I was instantly at Bella's side, ignoring the pain in my back. I wrapped my arm around her waist. Her body seemed to relax just a little bit. I rubbed small circles in her side with my thumb.

"It's fine, love."

She shook her head. She was taking deep breaths in and out of her nose. "What are you doing here, Renee?"

"Just came to say hello to my daughter." She said in a mock sweet voice. This woman was nothing close to sweet.

"We both know that is not why you came here." Bella said.

"Fine. You caught me. I just wanted to know why you didn't think of telling your own mother that you are now a mother." I tensed, as well as Bella, when she inadvertently mentioned Liam. Bella told me, when she was pregnant with Liam, that one thing that she wanted for our child, was to never have to meet Renee. I agreed completely.

"What goes on in my life is none of your business." Bella said.

"Oh I beg to differ. I gave birth to you, you little bitch. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be alive. You wouldn't have this house, with this pathetic excuse of a husband, or that child…"

"Shut up!" Bella yelled. "You can talk bad about me all you want but don't you dare say anything bad about Edward or my son."

"Oh, so it's a boy huh?"

"I said not to talk about my son." Bella said through gritted teeth.

"I saw your father the other day in the grocery store." Bella's body tensed, and so did mine. Bella had no idea who her father was. Ever since she was little, she has always wanted to know. Renee never told her. She would actually tease her about it too. I remember one time when I went over, before Phil left and everything went downhill, Bella asked about her father. Her mother literally started laughing and saying, 'I know who your father is and you don't' over and over again. When I was younger, to me that was normal, because seven year olds do that shit. But now that I look back on it, I realize just how sick that was. I held onto Bella tighter.

"Why are you telling me this?" A tear fell from Bella's eye, and I didn't think one tear could hurt me so badly. So far it seems like her Mom just came over to mess with Bella's head.

"I think that you should leave." I said while looking at Renee. She didn't really look like Bella. The only similarity I could pick up was their small frames, but that was it.

She completely ignored me, like I wasn't even there. "I saw him and he said hi to me and stuff. Yeah, he didn't ask about you of course. I mean who really fucking cares what goes on in your life."

"Then why are you h-here." Bella hiccupped and my heart broke. Sobs began to erupt from her throat.

"Leave my property right now before I call the cops." I yelled. I was just pissed off now. She really just came here to start shit. To start shit when Bella was doing so good. Bella doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve this at all.

"Just stop fucking talking, Eduardo. You're so annoying, you douche bag."

Bella ripped herself out of my arms and got in Renee's face. "Stop talking to him like that!" She screamed in her face. Renee just smiled and wiped her face with her hands.

"Jesus, say it, don't spray it. I don't know where that mouth has been."

"Get the fuck out of here!" Bella screamed. Her face was beat red, and I could see a big vein pop out on her forehead. "Don't come back or I will call the cops."

Renee just shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, come on Curtis." Curtis grabbed one of Renee's hands with one of his big ones. They both walked toward the car. Renee stopped halfway and turned back to us. "Oh, and tell Liam his grandma says hi." She said with a smirk.

"You fucking bitch!" Bella yelled and lunged for Renee. Luckily, me and Emmett were fast enough, and we both caught Bella by the waist. She fought against us and tried desperately to get to Renee. "You will never touch him! Don't even try to get next to my son!" She was screaming really loud. Some of the neighbors stepped out on their front porches. Nosey fuckers.

"Bella, calm down, love." I whispered into her ear as I was trying to hold her in place.

Renee kept on laughing. "Look at you. Look how pathetic you look right now. You make me sick."

"Just fucking leave, God damn it!" I yelled. Bella jumped at the tone of my voice. Renee continued laughing, but she got in the car, and they both drove away. Bella collapsed on the front lawn and cried. I went down with her. I stroked her hair and kissed her face as much as I could. "Shh, Bella. Stop crying, my love. Please. She is gone. Just take deep breaths."

I was beginning to think she was having a panic attack. Bella rarely ever had panic attacks. The only time I saw her have one was when we were 15. The 'dark year' as I like to call it.

"Edward. We should probably take her inside. People are staring." Emmett said from behind me.

I nodded my head. "Bella…"

"No." She said. She lifted her head and got up off of the ground. "I am going to go."

I felt my heart sink. "No. Bella please don't go." If Bella leaves, who knows what she will do.

"I can't go back inside, Edward."

"Why not? Please. Just come inside, and give yourself time to cool off."

"I don't want Liam seeing me like this, Edward."

"We can bring him in the other room. We can…"

"I just need some space alright?"

I swallowed loudly. "Okay." I didn't want to push her. Maybe she would be fine if she got away right now. If she gives herself time to think, and calm down alone, maybe she will be fine. She won't want to go get a drink. She can't. She has been doing so well. Drinking was a thing in her past. She started walking away, but I pulled her back. I crashed her to my chest and I held on tightly. "I love you, Bella. Don't you forget that, love. I love you more than the air I breathe. Me and Liam need you, baby."

She held onto me tight. "I love you too, Edward. Please give Liam a kiss for me. I will be back. I just need time to breathe, you know?"

"I know." I kissed her lips, and she turned to her car. She got in, and started the engine. She must have had her keys on her. She pulled out of the driveway. I watched as she drove off.

"Edward!" I turned and saw Emmett, looking pissed. I sighed.

"What, Emmett?"

"Why did you just let her leave like that? You know what she is going to do."

"What? Drink? I don't think so Emmett. She has been doing good. Plus, if I would have pressured her to stay, or followed her, she would have gotten even more pissed. I know my wife."

"You are delusional to think she is completely cured, Edward. Alcoholism doesn't just go away."

"I don't need your shit right now Emmett." I stormed past him. I hit his shoulder as I past, and I didn't care. I don't have to sit around and hear him list all of the reasons I am a horrible husband. I walked toward the front door of the house. As I got closer, I began to hear the faint sound of my son screaming and crying. I raced up the front steps, opening the door as soon as I approached it. I heard his cries coming from upstairs and I ran up them two steps at a time. I walked into his room where his cries were undoubtedly coming from.

Everyone was in there. Rosalie was in the corner with Emma and Nick, talking to them, distracting them. Alice was sitting in the rocking chair with Jasper right next to her; all of them looking anxiously at Liam who was screaming and crying in Carlisle's arms. His face was all red. The tears were falling down his cheeks and snot coming out of his nose. I felt my heart burst into flames seeing him so upset. Everyone looked at me when I walked in. My eyes were only on Liam.

"Daddy! Daddy!" He practically threw himself out of Carlisle's arms reaching for me. I walked up to him and took him in my arms. I wrapped my arms tight around him, just wanting him to feel secure. Safe. Although having him in my arms made me also feel secure, and safe. He had his chin on my shoulder and his little arms around my neck. He was still crying but thankfully not screaming. That screaming nearly killed me.

"Hey buddy, stop crying. It's okay." I rubbed his back which was hot, and almost wet from sweat. "What the hell happened? He isn't hurt right?"

"No." Carlisle answered. He had Mom tucked to his side. She looked like she was going to cry herself. I prayed to God that she wouldn't. I have already seen too many people that I love cry today. I can't take any more tears. I may break. "He heard Bella screaming outside, I think it scared him."

Jesus. Liam lifted his head and looked at me. "Mommy? Mommy?" He asked. He braced himself on my shoulders and looked over both. Looking for Bella. When he didn't see her, he looked back at me. "Mommy?" His big brown eyes were wide, and the tears were pooling in them. His lip began to quiver. He wanted me to help him. To tell him what he wanted to hear. He wanted Bella, and there was nothing I could do to help him.

"Mommy will be back." He whimpered and put his head back on my shoulder.

"Where's Bella?" Alice asked.

"She needed to go cool off."

"Edward, do you really think you should have let her go alone." Jasper asked.

"She doesn't need a babysitter, alright?" I yelled. Liam jumped and started crying again. Jesus, fuck, everyone just needs to leave so I can breathe.

"Edward, I think you need to calm down."

"I'm sorry, but can everyone just leave. Please. I am sorry this day had to end as such a disaster, but…I don't know what to say." Emmett came in the room at that point. He walked past me, and I am pretty sure he would have knocked me on the shoulder if I didn't have Liam in my arms.

"Let's go kids, Rose. We are leaving." Rosalie walked over to Emmett with the kids. They kids both gave me a small wave and kissed Liam's leg. Rosalie gave me an apologetic look. Emmett slapped me on my back. "You better not call me tonight saying she is drunk. I don't want to hear it. I warned you about that shit."

I restrained myself from yelling at him; just flipping the fuck out on him. If Liam wasn't in my arms clutching my neck, needing me to comfort him; I would. That is fucking bullshit. I love my brother to death, but why does he have to say shit like that to me? He doesn't even know if she is going to drink. She can't drink. She is better now.

Everyone started filing out of Liam's room after that. Alice kissed Liam's and my cheek, my mother did the same. Jasper and Dad gave me encouraging pats on the back. I took a deep breath when they all left. I sat down with Liam on the rocking chair. He lifted his head and looked at me. "Daddy. Juice." I smiled at his cute face. He still had tear stains on his cheeks, but he wasn't crying anymore, so it was good to see I could bring him some form of comfort. I kissed his cheek, and went downstairs to the kitchen to get him some juice.

I went to the fridge and got out a sippy cup that already had baby apple juice in it. I handed it to Liam, and he drank feverishly. I noticed the balloons were still all over the place, and I was reminded that it was Liam's birthday. This really fucking sucks. My poor boy and my poor wife. They don't deserve this shit, and it was all because of an insignificant woman who has intentionally tried to ruin our life.

"Hey Liam." He took the sippy cup out of his mouth, and some juice fell down his chin. He looked at me and made a 'hmm' sound. I kissed his forehead. "Do you want some cake, buddy?"

"Cake!" I smiled hearing him say another word that he hasn't said before. I wished Bella was here to hear it. I walked downstairs with Liam and got the small circle cake from the fridge. It was a simple cake with the words 'Happy Birthday Liam' on it. I sat Liam in his high chair and put a candle on top of the cake. I put the cake on the table in front of him. He clapped his little hands when I lit the candle. He was excited. I wanted to cry. I was sad that Bella wasn't here to see him blow out his first candle, but I wanted to do this for Liam. I wanted for him to at least have this to mask what happened before. I just wanted my boy to have a somewhat normal birthday.

I began softly singing 'Happy Birthday' to him. He kept his smile on, and stared at my lips as I sang. I could see he wanted to sing as well. When I was finished, he clapped his hands and squealed. "Blow out the candles, bud." Bella and I have been practicing with him how to blow out the candles for weeks now, so when today came, we could get a good picture. I took the camera off the top of the table and took the picture as he attempted to blow out the candles. He tried a couple of times, but he ended up mostly just spitting all over the cake. He slammed his fists down and I saw he was getting frustrated. I laughed and lightly blew the candles out when he tried again. He clapped some more. I smiled some more.

I got sad that Bella wasn't here.

* * *

I tip toed as quietly as I could out of Liam's room. He was finally asleep after attempting to get him to fall asleep for two hours. He wanted Bella to put him to sleep. It was around 10 now, and Bella still wasn't home. I was getting worried. I walked down the stairs, and headed for my cell phone that was still in the living room. I was just about to pick it up when I heard the door open. I heard a crash, and then a giggle.

Fucking hell, that giggle…

~_Flashback~ _

_**14 Years Old**_

"_Bella! It is so good to see you honey, happy birthday!" Edward heard his Mom practically squeal from upstairs. Edward jumped out of his bed and ran down the steps. He found Bella in the living room smiling with his Mom and Alice. A wide smile was on Edward's face. He ran up to Bella, and grabbed her in his arms. He lifted her off the ground and twirled her around, causing a light giggle to leave her mouth. _

"_Happy Birthday!" He said as he spun her. Esme and Alice laughed at Edward's actions. He put Bella down and she kissed him on the cheek. _

"_Thank you. And thanks for making me dizzy you weirdo." _

_They heard another set of footsteps come down the stairs and they all knew it was Emmett, because Carlisle was working. "Bella! You old lady!" Emmett hugged Bella as well, but decided to just lift her and squeeze her with all his might. _

"_Ugh, I can't breathe, Emmett." He put her down and we all laughed. _

"_Alright, let's get you guys to school. It is Friday and Bella's birthday, so I am sure it will be a great day." _

_How wrong she was._

* * *

"_Come on upstairs, Bella." Edward said to Bella. They were on the couch with Alice and Emmett after they just watched a movie and had junk food. This was their little mini party. Esme was planning on having a cake for Bella tomorrow when both her and Carlisle were home from work. Bella nodded her head, and walked up the steps with Edward. Bella sat down on his bed, but Edward lingered at the door. "I will be right back." _

"_Okay?" Bella laughed. Edward bolted out of the room. Bella took her shoes off and threw herself back on Edward's bed. She looked over on his bedside table and looked at the two pictures that were on there. The first was of Edward's parents and him on his 6__th__ birthday, and the other was of him and Bella. In the picture, Bella was on Edward's back. It was taken on Edward's 14__th__ birthday. In the picture, Bella was in the middle of giving Edward a wet willy. Edward's face was scrunched up adorably, but he still had a smile on his face. Bella was laughing. The picture was the definition of best friends being absolutely happy together. _

_Bella heard someone come in, and lifted to rest on her elbows. It was Edward. She smiled when she saw he was holding a small chocolate cupcake with a pink candle in the middle. He face was flushed, but he continued to walk closer to Bella with the cupcake cupped in his hand. As he approached her, he began to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her. Bella laughed and felt like she could also cry. He finished the song right as he sat down next to her on the bed. _

"_Blow out your candle, Bella." Bella lightly blew out towards the candle. The flame didn't go away. She tried again. Still nothing. Again. Nothing. Again…_

"_What the hell, Edward?" She slammed her hands down on the bed and glared as he was laughing. She blew harder, and harder, until finally the candle went out. Edward was laughing so hard, tears were coming out of his eyes. "That was a trick candle wasn't it?" She asked, trying not to laugh, but Edward's happiness was contagious. Edward nodded, but continued to laugh. He was clutching his stomach as the tears kept coming. Bella was getting frustrated that he was laughing at her. She grabbed the cupcake from Edward's hand, and smashed it in his face. _

_Edward instantly stopped laughing, and had a dumbfounded look on his face. Now it was Bella's turn to laugh to the point of tears. "That was so not cool, Bella." He went to grab the cupcake, but she put it out of his reach. He reached for it again, but this time she just threw it against his window. "Alright, have it your way then." He lunged for Bella and pinned her down on the bed. He then began to rub his face all over hers, causing her face to also be covered with chocolate frosting. _

"_Ah! Edward, stop. Stop!" She was laughing, and so was he. They wrestled a little more on Edward's bed, until they both collapsed onto it, breathing loudly. Bella looked over at Edward's clock. "I have to go soon."_

"_What? Why?" _

"_My Mom is actually going to bring me out tonight." Bella had a sparkle in her eyes. Despite what Bella's Mom does to her, she still longs for that relationship. She longs for that motherly affection that Renee so rarely gives her. Edward honestly didn't like Renee, but he understood where Bella was coming from, so he tried to sound happy for her. _

"_That's great, Bella! I am sure you will have fun." _

* * *

_Edward was lying on his bed. Sleep wasn't coming anytime soon. It was just about midnight, and he was listening to the rain pelting on his window. The sound soothed him. He liked the rain. But then he heard something louder than the rain pelting on his window. Someone was knocking. Bella. _

_Edward jumped out of bed, and went to the window. He lifted the window, and saw Bella on her same spot on the tree, but something wasn't right. _

"_Hey, Edwaaard." She said. She was smiling lazily, and her eyes weren't focused on anything. He noticed they were also bloodshot. _

"_Bella? What is the matter?" _

"_Nothing! I am perfect actually. Are you going to let me in, or do I have to sit out here in the rain?" _

"_No, I will help you." Edward reached for Bella. Her left foot slipped off the branch, and caused Edward to jerk forward trying to hold her weight. _

"_Woopsies." Bella said and started giggling loudly. Edward pulled her in the rest of the way. _

_Bella was still giggling. And for the first time, Edward wasn't longing for her to giggle more. It was just annoying him. This giggle wasn't like early when he was spinning her around in his arms, or when they had a small cupcake fight. This giggle was fake. Artificial. _

"_Bella you need to be quiet." Edward whispered. "My parents will hear you." _

"_Sorry!" She whisper yelled. Edward caught a whiff of her breath. _

"_Bella, have you been drinking?" Edward was shocked, appalled, flabbergasted. This was the last condition he ever thought he would catch Bella in. _

"_Mmm, yess. My Mom said it will make me feel better. And it doooesss." Bella stumbled over to sit on Edward's bed. "Now I know why my Mom does it all the time. It is like POOF! All pain gone!" _

"_Bella that is ridiculous. I don't ever want you to drink anything again." _

_Bella snorted. "Alright, Dad." She said sarcastically. _

"_Bella, I'm serious. That stuff isn't good for you. It destroys people's lives." _

"_Well it makes my life better. You don't know the shit that goes on in my life. You don't know my pain. I am in pain a lot, Edward. I hurt a lot." _

_Edward felt tears come to his eyes. It was a combination of seeing his best friend like this, and knowing that she was in pain that she never told him about. "You can just tell me, Bella. I would try and help you. I want to make your pain go away." _

_Bella got up from the bed and walked toward Edward. She wrapped her arms around his middle. Edward wrapped his arms around her. "You do help me, Edward. But it is when I am alone. Everything just hurts you know? But now I feel better." _

"_Bella, you can't drink ever again. I am not kidding. It hurts me to see you like this." _

"_I'm sorry, Edward. I don't want to hurt you." Then just like that, she was sobbing into his shoulder. Edward didn't know what to do. This was more than a 14 year old was supposed to handle. _

"_Bella…" Edward held on tighter to Bella. He was rubbing her back, trying to get her to calm down. "Please stop crying…I…" A tear fell from his eye, and he was unable to finish. He was scared. He only knew a little bit about alcohol. He knew enough to know it was bad for people. Especially young people. He didn't know if Bella was going to throw up, or get really sick, he didn't know if Bella was going o die. "Please stop crying, Bella. My heart hurts when you cry. You know this. Please." _

_Instead of Bella trying to control herself like she usually does, she only cried harder. "I'm so sorry, Edward. I love you. I'm sorry. I love you. I love you. I love you. My best friend…" It was then that Bella threw up over Edward's shoulder, onto the wooden surface of his desk. _

_It was then that Edward realized his best friend was irrevocably changed. _

_~End Flashback~_

I ran to the front door, and sure enough, Bella was on the floor giggling away. I felt the bile rise to my throat. This right here has been my worst nightmare for the past year and a half. This right here is what I feared the most. Bella is drunk. Fucking drunk off her ass. She is giggling. That giggle has always haunted me in my worst dreams. I want to go back. Rewind. Bring my Bella back. Not this. Not this again. Where is a God when you need one? This hurts. This hurts so fucking bad. Breathe. Help her. Just help her.

"Bella." I choked out as I approached her. I squatted down next to her. She was on the ground. She looked up and me.

"Hey, Edwaaard."

She giggled again. That fucking giggle.

* * *

**So yeah, Bella went and got drunk. Will this just be a one time thing? Or will she go right back in the pattern of drinking? **

**Go check out the thread on Twilighted, where you can discuss what is going on, or ask me questions, or just comment on the story. I also post teasers on there, so go check it out! **

**The next chapter will be out in a couple of days! **

**Review please! **


	9. Chapter 8: Mad

_**Chapter 8: Mad  
January 14, 2003**_

EPOV

I reached over and turned the annoying alarm off. The noise was reverberating painfully in my head. I groaned when I reached over to hit the alarm. The dull but forceful ache that shot through my back was blinding; mixed with the ache in my head, made me feel like not even getting out of bed. It was six in the morning, and I ended up falling asleep around four. So now I have a headache, back ache, and exhaustion that I had to deal with today.

Oh, and let's not forget a hungover wife.

I looked over at Bella, and saw she was still sleeping, and snoring softly. I changed her into her pajamas last night after she passed out. Before she passed out, she threw up several times. Of course that meant I had to hold her hair out of her face as she wretched into the toilet bowl. Last night, or this morning, however you think of it, I was brought back to the old days, and dealing with the three stages of Bella's drunkenness. I made up these three stages over the years. I was a pro at helping Bella when she was drunk. I guess some people would call it sad, but despite the drinking. I love Bella. I love her so much.

So the first stage of Bella's drunkenness was the giddiness. She giggles, and laughs; she is what she calls 'happy'. She isn't fooling anyone. The second stage is what I like to call her bipolar stage. In this stage, she will be either overly loving, or overly upset, and irritable. She can switch each like a dial. One second she could be telling you how much she loves you, and how happy she is that you are there, and the next second she will turn on you and tell you to leave her alone; get out of her face. And the final stage was the sick stage. Obviously in this stage she just pukes her guts out until her body can't take it anymore, and she passes out. Each stage was equally horrible. And none of those stages were really my Bella.

That's what I always keep telling myself over and over again when she is like that. Because deep down I know that isn't Bella. She is sick. Alcoholism is an illness. I have done so much research over the years I think I am close to being an expert. I knew why she drank. She drank because of the pain. She drinks when she can't deal with something. It was like an impulse, she can't completely control it. It was like something programmed in her head, when there is pain, her body and mind automatically seek solace in a drink.

I love Bella with my entire being. There isn't one part of me that doesn't love her. She is my heart, my soul, my life, my rock, my savior, my wife, my best friend. But when she is drunk, I hate her. I hate her for numerous reasons. I hate her because of what she is doing to herself. I hate that she is slowly but surely killing herself. I hate that no matter what I say, or how many times I try to help her, she won't take it. But the main reason I hate Bella when she is like that, is the way she makes me still love her as well as the hate. When she is in the 'happy' stage, a small part of me wants to laugh along with her, because I love her, and I want to share every part of my life with her. During her 'bipolar' stage, when she is all over me, and saying how much she loves me and how amazing I am, I want to tell her the same things. And the worst was in her 'sick' stage. In that stage a part of me wants to let her throw up all by herself. Let her deal with it. It kills me to see her like that, but in the end my love always wins out.

But after yesterday, after Bella left and decided to get drunk on Liam's first birthday, I was pissed at her, I was _mad_. I was really just not into taking her shit today after what she did to Liam yesterday. I got up out of bed and headed to the shower. Like I guessed, my back was covered in dark purple bruises. I took a quick hot shower. The heat felt good on my back. I put a towel around my waist and walked out to our room. Bella was still sleeping. Liam should be waking up in about 20 minutes. I had to go to work, so she needs to get up. I was tucking my shirt into my pants when I decided to wake her up.

"Bella!" I called out to her loudly. She of course didn't move. I spoke louder. "Bella!" She jumped and her hands went straight to her head and she groaned in pain. I ignored the pain in my chest at seeing her in pain. "Time to wake up, Bella." She mumbled something in the pillow, but I couldn't hear her. "What was that?" I said loudly.

"Stop screaming!" She said after she took the pillow off of her head.

"Well then get up. I have to go to work, and you need to watch our son."

"He's not even awake yet." She mumbled into her pillow. As if on cue, we heard Liam talking through the baby monitor. Bella groaned.

I walked out of the room to go get Liam. I was still mad at Bella, which was a horrible feeling by the way, but it all felt better when I walked in to see Liam standing up in his crib, smiling at me. "Daddy!"

"Hey, bud." I walked up to him and lifted him in my arms. I kissed his flushed cheek, and blew some raspberries on it as well, making him laugh. I of course laughed with him. "Do you want to see Mommy?" I asked him.

"Mommy!" He yelled and clapped his hands. I smiled and walked with him to the bedroom. Bella was still sprawled out on the bed, and it looked like she was sleeping again. I knew I really didn't have to say much this time. Liam started squealing when we walked in, and I placed him right next to Bella on the bed. "Mommy! Mommy!" He said loudly and crawled over on top of Bella. Bella got up on the bed and picked up Liam in her arms. I could see the pain in her face, probably from Liam yelling right next to her. I am sure her head was pounding right now. A small part of me wanted to take her in my arms and make that pain go away, but I knew I couldn't let her think I was okay with what happened last night.

"Hey, my boy." She said with the smallest of smiles. Liam was ecstatic. He loves Bella so much, how could she have tainted that last night? I decided not to dwell on it, because I really needed to get to work. I walked up to the bed and kissed Liam on his head.

"Bye, buddy. Daddy has to go to work." He whimpered and reached his arms out to me. I took him out of Bella's arms and kissed his face. "I'll be back, bud. Be a good boy for your Mom." I placed him back in Bella's lap. She was looking at me expectantly, and it was breaking my heart, but I was still mad. I grabbed my jacket from on top of the chair and walked to the door. I stopped just as I was about to leave. "Bye, Bella." I nearly broke when I saw her teary eyes.

"Bye, Edward. I love you." I nodded my head, but didn't say it back. I felt like an asshole. I felt like the scum of the earth, but I was also still mad, I had a right to be, right? _She hurt you just as bad last night, Edward. _That is what I had to keep telling myself to restrain from turning around and telling her I love her more, and that I will never stop. I wanted to hold her, and forgive her, but I couldn't.

_I love you too, Bella. I just wish it was enough to help you._

* * *

I jumped when I heard the phone ring in my office. I realized I dozed off, for how long I don't know. I picked up the phone instantly. "Edward Cullen." I said as I wiped my eyes. They were stinging, and it was difficult to keep them open.

"Edward, your father is here." I looked at the clock and saw it was already one in the afternoon. So I wasn't sleeping for that long, but now my Dad was coming over for our Tuesday lunches.

"Okay, just send him in." I cleared up some space on my desk for us to eat. My Dad usually just brings something quick for the both of us to eat. Seconds later, my Dad walked in the room, holding two bags of Subway with two bags of Doritos. "Hey, Dad."

He walked over and sat on the chair in front of my desk. "You look like hell, Edward." He said with concern in his eyes.

"Thanks." I grumbled, and grabbed my bag off of the desk where he placed it. He got me my favorite, turkey, cheese, lettuce, and black olives. I took the sub out of the bag, and he did the same.

"Don't tell me Bella…"

"Well she did, Dad." I snapped, and took a bite of my sub. I put it down on the wrapper and rubbed my face with my hands. "I'm sorry, Dad, I didn't mean to snap at you it's just…"

"It's okay, Edward. How bad was she?"

"As bad as she usually is when she is drunk." I opened the small bag of Doritos. "I just feel so stupid."

"What? Why do you feel stupid, Edward? You did nothing wrong. Bella is an alcoholic; that is not your fault." I felt a stab in my chest at his words. Sure, I knew deep down that Bella was an alcoholic, but I never wanted to admit it to myself.

"I was stupid to actually believe that she wouldn't go drink when she left last night." I wiped my hands and put my aching head back in my hands. The movement caused the pain in my back to flare up. The ache in my head, my back, and my heart was almost too much to handle. I squeezed my eyes shut tight to keep the tears back. "I thought I was doing the right thing for her….I guess not."

I felt his hand on my shoulder. "You need to stop beating yourself up over this Edward. It is not your fault." I nodded my head, but I wasn't completely convinced. I am her husband. I am the one who knows her best; shouldn't that mean I should be able to help her?

"I just don't know what to do anymore."

"Did you talk to her?"

"I was actually a complete douche bag to her this morning." I internally cringed thinking about her face after I didn't tell her I loved her back. "I was just mad, you know?"

"I understand that Edward, but you also have to realize Bella is probably struggling as well. She is sick. You need to find a way to get her the help she needs."

"I am going to try."

* * *

I took a deep breath before I opened the front door of the house. I walked in, and heard soft music coming from upstairs. It was about 7:30 now. I got held up at work for a while. I didn't mean to stay at work so long. I am sure Bella thought I did it on purpose, but I really didn't. One of our clients from New York came in for a surprise visit, and was offering a lot of money for a new campaign. I had to work with some of the designers as we came up with new ideas. So I missed dinner, and I haven't eaten since lunch. I was pretty much dead on my feet. All I wanted now was to see Bella, Liam, and the inside of my eyelids as I go to sleep. Even though I was still pretty mad at Bella, I really did want to see her. I missed her.

I jogged lightly up the steps, and heard Bella and Liam in the bathroom. The radio was playing, that was something Bella always did with Liam, she always put the radio on for his baths. I could hear Bella talking to Liam about the most random things. I could hear Liam splash in the water, and I could hear his little language come out of his mouth. I had no idea what he was saying, but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. Bella was answering him with 'uh-huh', 'oh really?', and 'are you kidding me?' I smiled, hearing her interact with Liam. I walked into the bathroom, and Liam looked right up at me.

"Daddy!" He started laughing and splashing. I laughed at him, but Bella wasn't laughing, she just had her head down, not looking at me. I walked up to the tub and sat next to it.

"I can stay in here with him, Bella." She lifted her head, and nodded it, but not looking in my eyes. She got up off of the floor, and headed for the door. "Bella." I called. She turned around, still not looking at me. "We will talk later." She nodded her head and left. I sighed loudly, before turning my attention back to Liam.

I hated when we fought, even our first fight was bad, although, I would take that fight over this fight any day…

_~Flashback~_

_**8 years old**_

"_You can't catch me!" Bella yelled as she ran away from Edward on the playground. It was the first day of school, and they were excited it was recess time. And what better way to kick off the new year than a game of tag between best friends?_

_Edward went running after Bella, but she was fast. Even as she tripped along the way, she was still faster than Edward. Both of them were laughing because of the fun they were having. Suddenly, Bella fell forward and braced herself on her hands. Edward knelt down next to her. "Are you okay, Bella?" _

_Bella was laughing though. "Yup! You know I fall all the time!" _

"_Yeah, but still…" _

"_Hey Edward!" Edward and Bella both looked behind them to see Mike walking up to them with his two friends, Eric and Tyler. Mike was a short chubby little boy. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, and he thought he was the best thing to ever walk on the earth. _

"_Hi, Mike." Edward said as Mike approached them. _

"_Why don't you come play kickball with us?" Mike said. _

"_Uh…sure, but Bella has to come." _

"_No." Mike said instantly. _

"_What? Why not?" _

"_Because she is a girl, and she is ugly." _

_Edward got up from the ground. "She is not ugly." Edward's hands were clenched at his sides."Can't she just come play with us?" _

"_No, girls aren't allowed to play kickball with us. And if you don't come play, then you are a girl too." _

_Edward didn't know what to do. He didn't want to leave Bella to play by herself, but he also wanted to make new friends. It was the first day of school. Plus, he knew how mean Mike, Tyler, and Eric were, so he didn't want to be on their bad side. He turned to Bella. "I'm just going to go with them, okay?"_

_Bella looked up at Edward, since she was still on the ground. "But then who would I play with?" _

_Edward was about to give in, and just play with Bella, but Mike grabbed his arm and pulled him behind him. "Who cares? Go play by yourself." Mike said. Edward saw the tears build in Bella's eyes. He was about to push Mike out of the way and go to Bella, but Bella shot up to her feet and ran away. "What a baby." Mike said and walked to where the kickball game was going on. Edward stood in his place, looking after where Bella ran, he couldn't see her anymore. "Come on, Edward." Mike said. Edward followed. _

_Edward sat waiting at his window. Bella has been coming through his window for three weeks now and she was late tonight. Edward wondered if maybe Renee was home, but he didn't see her car in the driveway, and all the lights were off in the house. Edward began to worry, so he decided he needed to go see if Bella was home, and to see if she was okay. He went to his closet to get more pillows out. He put pillows under his blanket, so it looked like there was a little person sleeping in the bed, just in case someone came in to check on him. Edward opened his window, and climbed down the tree. It was harder than he thought it was going to be, and he was surprised Bella was able to do it every night. _

_He ran barefoot to where he knew Bella's room was. Luckily, her room was on the first floor, so he was able to almost see in the window. He knocked on the window with his small fist. Seconds later, Bella opened the window. Her face was contorted in anger, and she had red puffy eyes. She was just wearing a ratty blue shirt that looked like it belonged to a man, probably one of Phil's old shirts. "Bella! Why didn't you come to my room?" Edward whisper yelled. _

"_I don't want to talk to you, Edward." She said. _

"_Why?" _

"_Because you hurt my feelings, Edward. I had no one to play with me at recess. Everyone thinks I am a freak." _

"_You're not a freak, Bella." _

"_Just go home, Edward." One of the corners of the shirt fell over Bella's shoulder, revealing a black and blue bruise. Edward gasped when he saw it, but Bella covered it up quickly, and shut her window. She pulled the curtain closed, and Edward was left in shock and hurt. _

_He wanted kiss it better for Bella._

_**2 weeks later**_

"_Edward! Pass the ball to me!" Eric yelled from across the court. Edward didn't even know why he was playing this with them. He wasn't really into sports that much. The only one he liked was baseball, but his 'friends' had him playing basketball instead. Edward panicked and threw the ball towards the hoop. The ball hit the rim, but then it just fell out. Edward's face turned red when he knew he caused his team to lose…again. He looked up, and saw Bella sitting against the school building by herself. She was sitting cross-legged and just looking down at her hands. She has been sitting there alone for two weeks. _

_Edward was forced to look away from Bella when Mike got in his face. "What is wrong with you, Edward! You stink at everything!" _

"_I'm sorry, Mike." Edward mumbled, intimidated by Mike. _

"_You act like a girl! Girls can't play sports, just like you!" _

"_I just need more practice, I…" _

_Mike ripped Edward's baseball cap off his head and threw it to the ground. That wasn't enough for Mike though, as he stomped his foot on it multiple times. Then Mike picked the hat up again. "Now put it on and cover your stupid hair." He handed Edward the hat roughly, causing him to stumble back, but not fall. _

"_Hey!" Edward, Mike, Eric, and Tyler's head all whipped to where the voice was coming from. It was Bella. She was walking toward them with her hands clenched to her sides, and a mad look on her face. She walked in between Edward and Mike, facing Mike. "What is your problem?" _

"_What are you talking about, girl? Just go sit by yourself where you belong." _

_Bella ignored what he said. "Why are you picking on, Edward?" _

"_I was not picking on Edward." Mike said defensively, he was actually starting to look scared, which surprised Edward. _

"_Yes you were. You better leave him alone, Mike, or I will tell the teacher." Mike scoffed. "Fine then, I will just have to beat you up then." _

_Mike started cracking up laughing. "Yeah, okay, you are a girl! You can't beat me up." _

_Bella wasted no time stomping on Mike's foot…hard. "I will beat you up. Now don't ever be mean to Edward again!" She said sternly. _

_Mike started crying. "I am telling the teacher!" _

"_What like a girl?" Edward said from behind Bella. Bella turned and smiled at him. _

"_Whatever!" Mike said and stomped away. Eric and Tyler were laughing at him. Mike was sitting in the same spot Bella was…alone. Eric and Tyler ran to go play something else. Bella turned to look at Edward. _

"_Are you okay?" She asked. Edward smiled and pulled Bella in for a big hug. He squeezed her tightly. "I…can't…breathe." _

_Edward loosened his grip a little. "Are you my friend again, Bella?" _

_Bella laughed and hugged Edward back. "I am always going to be your friend, Edward." _

_~End Flashback~_

I felt cold water splash on my face, and soak my shirt. I turned to see Liam laughing a belly laugh as he looked at me. "You little stinker!" I said and then lightly splashed his little face with water. I thought he would get mad, or he wouldn't like it, but he just kept on laughing. I leaned over to him to kiss his wet face. "I love you, kid." He picked up a rubber duck, and started chewing on it. "So how was your day, bud?"

That one question got Liam to go on babbling in his baby talk. It was funny though, because even though I had no idea what he was saying, he would sometimes make facial expressions that reminded me of both Bella and myself. It really was amazing how this little boy literally was a mixture of both me and Bella. He was the most beautiful little thing too. Me and Bella created him. Mine and Bella's love created this little creature that was so perfect in so many ways. If our love could do that, maybe that love will be enough to help us get through the tough times I knew were ahead.

* * *

I finished cleaning the last dish from me eating dinner. Bella made spaghetti, and put a plate in the fridge for me to eat when I got home. After I gave Liam his bath and got him changed in his pajamas, Bella went to put him to bed. That was about a half an hour now, and I ate my dinner by myself. Now I was exhausted. I needed to sleep. I walked up the stairs slowly, unbuttoning my shirt along the way. I entered the room and Bella was on the bed, reading. She looked up at me when I walked in.

I continued to unbutton my shirt, when I was on the second to last one, Bella spoke. "How was your day?" She said in a small voice.

"Fine." I answered curtly.

"Look Edward, I know you are mad at me, and I get it…."

"Do you though?" I asked, looking at her face for the first time. She was across the room from me, but I could still see how tired and hurt she was. "Do you really understand how much you hurt me last night?"

Even from across the room, I could see a tear fall from her eye. "I didn't mean to…" I scoffed. "Let me finish, please." Her voice was calm, she wasn't snapping at me. She was taking my anger full on. "When I left yesterday, I did not plan on going to drink. I swear to you, Edward. I just went out for a drive to cool off you know? I realize now I should have just stayed home because it was Liam's birthday." Her voice cracked, and she took a deep breath. "I was just driving around, and I don't know what came over me, I was just thinking about what was happening, thinking about that man hurting you…and before I knew it, I was at a bar." She covered her face as she started sobbing. "I didn't mean to do it, Edward, it just happened. I know that sounds stupid, but I don't really know another way to explain it."

"You are an alcoholic, Bella."

He face shot up to mine. "What? No I am not."

"Yes you are, Bella. You are a fucking alcoholic." The words burned like a hot iron down my throat.

Bella's breath began to pick up, and she kept on sobbing. "It hurts me more than you know that I hurt you last night, Edward. And I even hurt Liam. I feel like such a failure. I wish I could be perfect for you, I try. I try so damn hard." She wiped away some tears, but they kept coming down. "I know I had drinking problems before, but last night wasn't planned…I…I am not an alcoholic."

I knew she was wrong, she needed to realize she was, but I guess tonight wouldn't be that time. I rolled my shirt off of my shoulders, wincing at the pain in my back. If I wasn't so tired, I would go get some Tylenol or something, but I just wanted to sleep. "Are you okay?" Bella asked, panic laced her voice.

"I'm fine." I took off the wife beater under my shirt, and winced again. I caught a glance of Bella, and saw she was restraining herself from getting off the bed and walking up to me. I undid my belt, and lowered my pants to the ground. I stepped out of them, and threw both of the pants and the shirt in the hamper. I walked up to the bed and started pulling the covers back.

"Are you still mad at me?" Bella asked, her voice was cracking from her crying.

"No, I am just really tired Bella. Just know that I _hated_ what you did last night Bella."

"I know, I'm sorry." I lowered myself to the bed, holding in a groan at the ache in my back, I lied down on my side, my back to Bella. I heard a gasp escape Bella's lips, and she the bed shook lightly with her sobs. I was about to turn and comfort her, when I felt her hands on my bare back. Her hands were cold, and I sighed feeling them on my back. She traced her fingers around my back, tracing the bruises if I had to guess. Goose bumps formed on my skin, and I felt immensely better just from her touch.

As if her touch wasn't enough, she then started placing small feather light kisses all along my back. She was kissing them better for me. That was when my resolve crumbled. I let her kiss them even more. When she was finished kissing them, she then just rubbed her hand up and down my back. I could still hear her crying softly. I couldn't have that anymore.

I shifted over to face her. I was still lying on my side, but now I was facing her. My heart broke when I looked in her eyes. There was hurt, pain, sorrow, but most of all love. I reached my hand out and wiped her tears. "Does it hurt?" She asked.

"A little." I whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I should have done more to stop him. I hate seeing you in pain, I…"

"Shh…" I cooed to her and pulled her into my chest. She curled close to me, rested her head on my chest, and rubbing my back lightly with her hand. "It's okay, love. I'm okay."

"I love you, Edward. I know I messed up last night. I know I am messed up, but I love you so God damn much. I'm sorry. I am trying."

"That is all I ask, love. I love you too, beautiful. Just stop crying, you know…"

"It hurts your heart. I know, I'm sorry." She took deep breaths, and calmed down her crying. I held onto her tight. I knew Bella was an alcoholic, whether she wanted to admit it or not, but at least she was trying. She had a slip up last night, and there probably will be more. But I do know that I will help her no matter what. We love each other. Our love should be enough.

* * *

**I hope you liked the chapter! There has been teams forming amongst my readers. ET (Edward's Team), BT (Bella's Team), and BEBT (Both Edward and Bella Team). Who do you sympathize with more? Pick a team! There is more information about both on the thread. **

**Please leave a review! **


	10. Chapter 9: Corner

_**Chapter 9: Corner  
March 15, 2003**_

EPOV

I leaned over to the left to dodge the red ball that came flying at my head. "Liam! You are not supposed to throw the ball, bud. We are rolling the ball. Your Mom will kill me if something breaks."

"Ball!" I crawled over to get the ball. "Ball, ball, ball, ball, baaalllll" He screamed stomping his feet and flailing his arms around. He wasn't being a brat though, he was just wanted the ball. We were playing around while we waited for Bella to get ready. Today was Alice and Jasper's twin's christening. Alice ended up having a c-section on February 3, 2003 to two beautiful twin boys; Rylan Gabriel and Braedan Austin Whitlock. They were both two small little bald babies with blue eyes. They were really cute, and already had personalities of their own. Rylan was a crier, he always wanted to be held, and always wanted the attention on him…I guess he got that from Alice. Braedan on the other hand, was very chill, and just liked to look around at all that goes on around him…more like Jasper. But they were identical twins, and I have the hardest time telling them apart. Alice and Jasper do it easily, but it must be because they are the parents or whatever because I think I would need to put paint on one of their feet so I could tell who is who.

I threw the ball at Liam and it bounced off his head, and came back to me. We both started laughing, and he ran at me to get the ball. I put it behind my back and then held my hands up to show him it was gone. I gasped in mock surprise. "Where did it go?" I asked. Liam's smile automatically went away, and his little face turned calculating, he was really trying to figure out where it went. He looked behind him, and I slipped the small ball under my shirt, I was wearing a green button down, but I hadn't tucked it in yet. I turned back to me with questioning eyes.

He lifted his hands palm up and shrugged his shoulders. "Ball gone." He said simply, but kept looking around for it. I couldn't hold in my laugh because he was just being really fucking cute. His brown hair was sticking up, there was no gel holding it up, he just had me as a father. Poor kid. His light brown eyes were darting around the room in curiosity, and there has not been a day that has gone by where I am not amazed by him.

I took the ball out of my shirt, and his face lit up. "Ball!" He said and ran to grab it from me. It was like realization came across his face at what I did. He gave me a serious look, and then threw the ball at my head; it hit me in the middle of my forehead. Liam laughed and picked the ball up again…so this kid thinks he's funny.

"Oh you better run, little man." I lifted my hands in the tickling position, and he knew what was coming. He screamed and ran away from me with the ball still clutched in both of his hands in front of him. I got up off the floor and chased him around the living room, I was walking a normal pace, but Liam's little legs were working fast to get away from me. We were making what was probably our 10th rotation around the living room when Bella walked in, looking as beautiful as ever. She was wearing a long white blouse with a pair of black leggings with white flats, she looked beautiful. As soon as Liam saw Bella, he ran to her.

"Mommy! Mommy! Hewp!" That was the first time he said help, and smiled hearing it. He ran to Bella and she scooped him up in her arms.

"I'll save you, baby!" She said and started running away with Liam in her arms. His and her giggles were like a sweet melody in my ears that I didn't want to go away. I chased them around a couple of times, before I just took the plunge and wrapped my arms around both of them from behind. "Oh no! He got us!" Bella said and tried to squirm away.

"No, Daddy! No!" He tried to pry my arms away but I wasn't budging. "Bye! Bye, Daddy!"

I laughed at his own little way of dismissing me. Bella laughed to and kissed his face. I had my head resting on Bella's shoulder. "It's okay, honey, I think Daddy is going to be nice now." She turned her head and kissed the side of mine, my eyes were on Liam. "See? He is being nice now." Liam looked between me and her for a second before shrugging his shoulders and bent down and kissed my nose. "Aww, that's my boy."

The smile was on my face as I turned to kiss Bella's neck. "I think we should be leaving now, love." She nodded her head.

"I just need to put Liam's shoes on." I nodded and began to tuck in my shirt, and button a few more buttons at the top. I saw Liam was squirming a lot, and Bella was getting frustrated because she couldn't get his shoes on with him moving. I went and picked him up and placed him in my lap. He fussed and tried to squirm away again, but I held him tight. Bella got his shoes on, and we were ready to go.

* * *

Bella, Liam, and I all walked into the church. There were a lot of people there. All of my family-generations, and generations of it-and all of Jasper's big southern family that all flew up to see the boy's Christening. I was holding Liam, and Bella squeezed my hand tighter when we walked in. Not everyone in my family approved of Bella, I guess you could say. Not that I needed their approval, they don't know the full story about mine and Bella's relationship. The only thing they see is a girl who was put in rehab when she was 16, and again when she was 19, and again at 21. I only see some of these people once a year, some not even that often. It pissed me off whenever me and Bella were around them, and they looked at her like she was the scum of the earth, or that she was crazy.

Bella was in no way the scum of the earth, and she was sure as hell not crazy. She is just my beautiful, caring, and loving Bella, but she has had it tough. She has had a tough childhood, and developed a tricky illness from that. It bothers me more than I can express when people look at her, and only see the drinking problems. She is so much more than that. I try to protect her from it the best I can, because I always see the look of hurt in her eyes when some of my great aunts start whispering to each other when she walks by. Pisses me off.

We walked to the front where my parents saved us a spot. Mom reached for Liam when we got to the pew, and I handed him over to her. Bella slid in first, so she was sitting next to my Dad, and I was on the end, right next to the aisle. Alice and Jasper were already up front with Rylan and Braedan, Emmett and Rose up there with them, they were the God parents of the boys. The ceremony was just about ready to start, but Bella was tense at my side, and I saw she was concentrating at the front of the church. I turned my head to the side and saw one of my older girl cousins whispering to who I guessed was her boyfriend, and looking at Bella and pointing. How rude can you get, honestly? I glared at her, and she stopped whispering, her face turning red. I wrapped my arm around Bella and pulled her to my side. I kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry about it Bella."

She looked up at me. "I love you." She mouthed since the priest already started talking. I smiled and kissed her forehead. I looked to the front of the church, and watched my nephews get christened. I held onto Bella the whole time. Let them stare at that.

* * *

"Liam, buddy, please stop crying all ready." I said as I was driving the car to Jasper's parent's house where the small after party was. Liam was a little terror during the ceremony. He didn't want to sit still, he was babbling, and crawling from lap to lap of me, Bella, and my parents. Towards the end he just started outright crying, and I had to carry him out of the church, I had Bella come with me so she wouldn't have to deal with the stares of my inconsiderate family.

We caught Alice, Jasper, and the boys afterwards to congratulate, and give them hugs and stuff. We both apologized profusely for Liam being so loud, but they assured us it was fine. Alice actually said she thought it was funny. At least they think so, as long as they weren't bad, that was all that matters.

And now Liam was still cranky. Someone must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, because he is never usually this whiny. Of course today had to be the day he was cranky. We finally arrived to the house, and there were already a lot of people there. We got out of the car, and I went to grab a screaming Liam from the car seat. He rubbed his eyes which were filled with tears, and I concluded that he must have been tired because he hasn't had a nap today. As soon as we walked in, Alice was walking by the front door.

"Oh thank God." She said and grabbed Bella's arm. "Bella, I need your help with this food, I love Jasper's mother, but she doesn't have any idea what she is doing." Bella laughed and looked up at me, as if asking for permission.

"Sure Alice," She turned to me. "Oh, sorry I can't change Liam's diaper…that's too bad."

She wasn't sorry at all, but it was good to see she was joking around now; she was loosening up a little bit. I smiled and kissed her smiling face. "You will just have to pay for that later, love." I told her in the voice she told me gets her hot and bothered. She giggled _her_ giggle and kissed me on the lips.

"Oh that is so gross. Stop making sexy eyes with my brother Bella, and come help me with the damn food." She kissed me one more time before walking off with Alice. Liam had his head on my shoulder and I walked up to Jasper's father, Joseph. I tapped him on the shoulder, and he looked back at me.

"Edward! It is good to see you." He stuck his hand out to me and I shook it with the arm that wasn't holding Liam.

"It is good to see you too, but do you think you could point me to a place where I can change my son's diaper."

"Oh of course." He pointed me to a quest room just down the hall. I thanked him, and walked to the room with Liam. I placed Liam and the diaper bag on the bed. I took out the little mat that comes with the diaper bag down on the bed, and placed Liam on top of it. I started to unbutton his pants, when I heard the door open. I looked over and saw it was Emmett, holding a drink.

"What's up, bro?" He asked as he clapped me on the back.

"Just changing my kid's piss." He laughed and then looked down to Liam.

"Hey, kid!" He said and tickled Liam's stomach, causing him to laugh.

"He is one cute kid."

"I know." I said smiling at my son.

"He gets it from Bella though."

I rolled my eyes. "I like to think he gets his good looks from the both of us."

"Keep dreaming." I laughed, and so did he. "So how is she, how is Bella?"

Way to kill the mood. "She is fine." I put Liam's diaper under him and started to adjust it to secure it on him.

"Well Mom said that she got drunk again last week." I didn't answer him. Yes it was true. Bella got drunk again last week. It actually seemed to come out of nowhere. She told me she was going to go to the store to buy ice cream. She came back with the ice cream, but she also came back with a half empty bottle of vodka. I had to pry it out of her hands when she got home, and she was already drunk. Thankfully Liam was already sleeping, and I had to take care of her for the rest of the night. I woke her up early the next morning, and it was the same routine as the last time she got drunk on Liam's birthday. I had Liam stand on the bed as I pulled his pants up. "That doesn't sound fine to me, Edward."

That was when I lost it. "You know what Emmett? I am sick and tired of you always bullying me about this whole situation with Bella. We can't even have a normal conversation without you bringing up Bella and her drinking."

"Well excuse me for caring." Emmett said. I began tucking in Liam's little green button down.

"I get that you care, Emmett. I know you love Bella and only want her to be okay, but I am her husband, alright? Let me take care of her. If something happens with Bella that I think you should know, I will tell you." I lifted Liam off the bed, and he rested his head on my shoulder again, he was really tired.

"Now I just think you are being unfair, Edward."

"I am being unfair?" I asked, not expecting him to say something like that.

"Yes, and you are being stubborn."

"Oh no, Emmett. You are not going to turn this on me." I started walking to the door to just leave, but he grabbed my arm.

"I just want to know how she is doing, Edward." He looked actually kind of hurt.

"And that is fine, but do you have to ask me that question every single time you see me? I feel like we don't even have normal conversations like we used to. And it isn't only the questioning that bothers me; it is afterwards when you give me that look."

He looked up. "What look?"

"That look that you give me that makes me feel so stupid. You give me a look that says I should be doing more to help her. And sometimes you even say what a horrible job I am doing. I don't need that shit, Emmett. I know my wife, and I try my hardest everyday to help her. It would be nice if my brother could at least acknowledge the effort I am trying to make."

"I know you try Edward, but sometimes I just think there is more that…"

I put my hand up to stop him. "That's enough, Emmett. I am not going to sit here and argue with you about this; not in front of my son."

"Whatever, Edward." He said and walked past me and out the room. I sighed loudly, and rubbed Liam's back. I wished Emmett would go back to the way he was before. He was always funny, loud, and caring. He is still like that now, but not so much around me anymore, which kind of hurts. I love my brother a whole lot, I always looked up to him you know? Sometimes I just wish we could go back to when we were kids. Go back to where things were simple and all of us were able to get along and just have fun…

~_Flashback~_

_**9 Years old**_

"_I'm on Bella's team!" Edward yelled and grabbed Bella's right arm. Bella smiled brightly at him. They were all about to play an extreme game of hide and seek, and they wanted to play on teams. _

"_Aww come on, Edward. You always get to be on Bella's team." Emmett whined. "I want to be on Bella's team." Emmett said and grabbed Bella's left arm._

"_Yeah, I want to be on Bella's team too!" Alice said and also pulled on Bella's left arm._

"_Yeah well she is my best friend!" Edward said and pulled Bella's arm. Bella wasn't hurt though, she was just laughing. _

"_So what? You always get to be on her team, and then I get stuck with Alice!" Emmett said and pulled Bella's arm. _

_Alice let go of Bella's arm, and put her hands on her hips. "Hey! What is wrong with me?" She asked while looking at Emmett. _

_Emmett didn't answer her. "Let me be on Bella's team!" Emmett said to Edward. Edward really wanted to be on Bella's team, but he also didn't want Emmett to get mad at him. _

_He looked to Bella. "Who's team do you want to be on, Bella?"_

_Bella looked to Edward and then to Emmett, she bit her lip thinking about who she would choose. She shrugged her shoulders. "I think I will choose…." Edward and Emmett both looked smug, like they knew she was going to pick them. "Alice!" _

_Edward and Emmett's face both fell and they let go of Bella's arms. "What? But we are always on the same team!" Edward said looking at Bella. Alice was squealing and she ran to Bella and grabbed her hand. She started dancing around in her spot while sticking her tongue out at Emmett. Bella laughed at her and then looked to Edward. _

"_I know, but we can take turns. It can be girls against boys." _

"_Fine." Edward said and put his head down. Bella saw that he was kind of sad, and walked up to him. She put her small hand on his shoulder. She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "You are still my bestest friend Edward, don't worry." _

_Edward felt better._

* * *

"_18…19…20…21…22…23…24…25. Ready or not, here we come!" Emmett and Edward yelled at the same time. This was their seventh round of hide and seek. _

"_Come on, Edward." Emmett whispered. "I think they are going to hide in the cabinets again." Edward nodded his head, and followed his cousin, now big brother, to the kitchen. They tip toed to the kitchen, and Emmett opened the cabinet that the girls always hid in. They found Alice._

"_Aw! Come on!" Alice said, frustrated. _

"_Now we just have to find Bella." Emmett said, Edward nodded. They scoured the whole house for Bella, but couldn't find her. They looked under all the beds, in between all the couches, and they even checked the bath tubs, but they couldn't find her. Edward ended up finding her though when he looked in the empty hamper. She was inside, but she put a blanket over it. _

"_Found you!" Edward said. Bella got up and laughed. "Emmett! I found her!" _

"_Can you help me out?" Bella asked and reached her arms out to Edward. He grabbed her under her arms and dragged her towards him, almost like he does at night when he pulls her through his window. The hamper fell over, but he got her out. Emmett came running in the room with Alice after him and pumped his fist. _

"_Yeah Edward! Good job!" Edward beamed at Emmett, happy that he made Emmett proud. _

"_Kids! Why don't you come downstairs and have some ice cream!" _

_All four of them started cheering and ran down the stairs. Esme had four bowls set up with two cartons of ice cream out; one chocolate and one vanilla. She also had out stuff that they can put on their ice cream to make sundaes. There were sprinkles, whipped cream, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, peanuts, chocolate chips, and cherries. All four kids ran to the table; Edward and Bella on one side, and Alice and Emmett on the other. Esme handed out the bowls and Carlisle started scooping out the ice cream. Alice, Emmett, and Edward all picked chocolate. _

"_What kind do you want Bella?" Carlisle asked with a smile to Bella. _

"_I guess I will have chocolate." _

_Edward's head shot to Bella's. "But you don't like chocolate." _

"_Yeah but you already have the chocolate open so that is okay." _

"_Oh no, honey. We can open the vanilla, it is no problem." Esme said. _

"_Are you sure?" Bella asked._

"_Of course! Carlisle give Bella some vanilla." _

_Carlisle opened the carton of vanilla. "Vanilla is my favorite too, Bella." He said and winked at her. She gave him a bright smile and he put two scoops into her bowl. "So what do you want to put on it Bella?" _

"_How many can I pick?" She asked. _

"_As many as you want, sweetheart." Carlisle told her. She looked around and saw Edward, Emmett, and Alice filling their bowls with a lot of everything; Bella decided to join in. She knew she was safe here; she wouldn't get in trouble for having fun here. They all began eating their ice cream. _

"_Hey Edward." Emmett said. _

"_Yeah?" He wasn't paying attention Emmett thought he was too focused on the caramel drizzling off his spoon. _

"_You got something on your nose." _

_Edward looked up at Emmett and then Emmett reached over and smeared whip cream on Edward's nose. Edward's mouth dropped open, shocked at what Emmett did. Alice and Bella joined Emmett in laughing at Edward. Carlisle and Esme also laughed. _

"_You're mean." Edward said and threw a chocolate chip at Emmett's head. They all began laughing again. _

"_Hey!" Emmett said and then threw his cherry at Edward. _

"_Hey!" Edward picked up some sprinkles and threw them at Emmett._

"_Alright, alright that's enough boys!" Esme said. _

_Alice and Bella were both cracking up laughing, and Emmett and Edward laughed too. "You guys are weird." Bella said, shaking her head. They all continued laughing and eating their ice cream. They were all about half way done when the door bell rang. Carlisle got up to answer it. _

"_Bella!" Bella's whole body tensed when she heard her mother yelling as she walked through the house. She could hear her heals stomping toward the kitchen. When she appeared in the kitchen, she wasted no time getting to the point. "Did I say you could come here today?"_

_Edward glared at Renee and grabbed Bella's hand under the table. "Y-you weren't home." Bella said, her hands began to shake, and Edward squeezed her hand tighter. _

"_You can really be stupid sometimes." Renee said, she walked up to Bella and grabbed her arm, pulling her off the chair. Edward held on tighter to Bella's hand, pulling her from Renee. "Let go of her you little punk." _

"_Alright that's enough." Carlisle said. "Let go of her, Renee." He put his hand over Renee's that was on Bella's arm. Renee let go, but just to shrug Carlisle's hand off. _

"_She is my kid." _

"_And that is my kid, and I will not tolerate you speaking to him like that." _

_Renee scoffed. "You are not his parents, his parents are dead, stupid."_

_Edward gasped and his eyes began to water. Bella grabbed his hand this time. Then she turned to Renee. "Don't say that! You are going to hurt his feelings!" _

"_I think you should leave my house right now." Esme said, tears falling down her face. _

"_Gladly. Let's go Bella." She grabbed Bella's arm again and dragged her to the door, Edward stood stunned when he heard the front door open._

"_We have to go get her, Carlisle." Esme said. "I don't like her being in that house with her." Carlisle and Esme didn't know about Renee hitting Bella and Edward almost told them that day. Almost._

"_You know we can't do anything, Esme. I wish we could, but we can't." Edward was still in his seat, in shock. Tears fell from his eyes. He was sad. He was sad about what Renee said about his parents and he was sad that Bella had to leave with her. He felt two hands on his shoulders. He looked over to see Alice and Emmett looking at him._

"_We are sorry, Edward." Alice said. _

"_Yeah, I wish Bella didn't live with her." Emmett said. "We will save her one day." Alice and Emmett both went in to hug Edward; Alice's head on Edward's right shoulder and Emmett's on his left. "One day we will save her." _

_Edward hoped so._

_~End Flashback~_

I walked with Liam downstairs and found Bella in the kitchen talking with Rosalie. She looked up when we walked in and smiled at us. Liam went reaching for Bella, and she automatically took him in her arms. He put his head on her shoulder. "I think he is tired." I said as I ran my hand through Liam's hair.

"Hey, Edward." I looked over my shoulder to where Jasper's voice was coming from. He was standing with Carlisle, his Dad, and a bunch of other guys. "Come talk with us."

Some time with just the guys sounded nice, but I didn't want to leave Bella alone. I looked at her, and she answered my silent question right away. "Go ahead, I will just try and get him to sleep." I smiled, proud that she was being so brave, and not caring what everyone else thinks or says about her.

That is how it always should be.

* * *

I stood with the guys for about a half an hour, we were talking about normal guy stuff; cars, sports, grills, or our kids. I was actually enjoying myself. Things were starting to slow down when it came to the topics of interest, and I decided to check on Bella. "Hey I will be right back, guys." Everyone nodded their heads, but kept on talking and laughing. I walked into the living room and found Bella. But the whole scene just broke my heart.

Bella was sitting on the couch by herself, Liam on her lap. She was sitting on the right side of the couch. Her feet were flat on the ground, and Liam was sitting in her lap, his back against her chest. He was doing the thing he did when he was tired, he would play with his hair on the right side of his head. He looked very tired, but he was just looking around curiously at all of the people around him.

But what was breaking my heart was Bella and the look of sadness on her face. She had her left hand across Liam's middle, holding him in place, and the other running through his soft hair. Her full attention wasn't on Liam though; her attention was across the room. I was standing in the doorway of the living room, and no seemed to notice me. I looked in the direction Bella was looking, and I understood.

In the far corner of the room I saw Alice holding Braedan, and my Mom holding Rylan. Esme was looking at Alice with so much love, and they were talking and laughing and smiling. Mom would reach over and sweep a finger over Braedan's cheek, and kiss Alice on the cheek. Not too far from them was Rosalie sitting on a love seat with her and Jasper's Mom, Kelly. Kelly had Nick in her lap, and Emma was talking to them animatedly. They were both laughing at what she was saying, and even Nick was joining in. Kelly looked at her granddaughter with so much love, and would rub Rosalie's back with a motherly affection that clearly told her she was proud. In this corner was women showing how proud they were of their daughters, and giving their grandchildren their undivided attention. In this corner was the vision of the bond between mother and daughter.

I looked back to Bella, her face looking towards them with such longing in her eyes. In this corner was my beautiful wife, sitting by herself on the couch, only her son on her lap. In this corner there is no mother telling Bella how proud they are of her, or how beautiful her child is. In this corner was the vision of how badly a mother's decision not to love her child affects the child throughout life. In this corner was my wife, my beautiful, caring, but troubled wife. She never fully understood the feeling of a parent's love. Why does it have to happen to her? She has done nothing to deserve that.

I felt tears build in my eyes, wishing that Bella's mother was normal. I would give anything to somehow give Bella a mother right now. I want to rewind, and walk in this room and see Bella smiling with her mother and showing off our perfect son to her. But there is no way for me to do that. God how I wish I could. Maybe if she had that, Bella wouldn't be dealing with her drinking problem today.

I was about to walk to her before I heard familiar whispering coming from inside the living room. They were standing closest to the door, but they still couldn't see me. "Did you see how much that kid was misbehaving in the church?"

"Yeah, that was embarrassing."

"Well we know it is not Edward's fault, it is obviously her. She probably sits home all day, drunk as usual, and the kid is free to do what he wants. Edward just needs to get rid of her, or else his son will end up being…"

I didn't let her finish. I walked through the door, and walked up to my cousin whose name I still couldn't remember. "Excuse me." I said quietly and calmly. Her face turned red as she looked at me. "I think you better watch what you are saying. I haven't even met you before in my life, and unfortunately we are related. You don't know my wife. So I suggest you stop talking about shit you know nothing about. I better not hear another word about my wife or my son come out of your mouth." My voice was quiet and calm, but deadly.

She gulped. "I-I'm sorry."

I didn't want to waste my breath talking to her any longer; I think I made my point, so I walked over to my wife and son. Bella was still looking at the scene ahead of her, and Liam finally fell asleep. I sat down next to Bella and wrapped my arm around her like I did in the church. Luckily my presence got her to look away from what was bothering her. She looked at me with sad but loving eyes. "You okay, love?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I knew she was not telling the truth, but I wouldn't make her say it. I think she knew I knew though by the look on her face. I bent down and kissed her lips softly. I pulled away and rested my forehead on hers.

"You know you will always have me, love. You know that right?" She nodded her head slightly, tears welling in her beautiful eyes. I put my hand over hers on Liam's stomach. "And you have Liam. You have us both. I know things are tough for you, baby, but know that we will be with you every step of the way. You are a part of us, Bella."

She nodded her head again, and she breathed in through her nose to keep her tears from falling. "I know." She lifted her head, and placed a kiss on my forehead. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I am glad I did it." She whispered.

This time I kissed her forehead. I looked back and forth between my son and my wife; my two reasons for existing. We weren't perfect…no, we were far from perfect. But there was one perfect thing that we had, and it was the love we have for each other. Sure some people are going to judge us, but do we really care? No, we don't care, because no one will ever really know the full story, so therefore their opinion means nothing. We will always be there for each other. We will be each other's rock and support each other through the hard times.

In this corner was a family.

* * *

**So I hope you all liked this chapter. Not too much happens, but we learn more about Bella after her first mess up. Yes she got drunk again. There is going to be a big time jump soon, but I am not exactly sure when, so just get ready for it. I wanted to say more in this A/N but it is 1 in the morning and I am so tired. So all I have to say is go visit the thread, I post teasers and we have some fun conversations. Oh and go read "The Beauty of His Eyes" by AlexaET (President of Edward's Team) That's all :]**

**Next chapter should be out in a couple of days. **


	11. Chapter 10: Hate

_**Chapter 10: Hate  
October 10, 2003**_

**EPOV**

Why did I volunteer to do this? Why did I volunteer to take over another client? It was now eight o clock at night, and I was still at work. It was a Friday, and I just wanted to get home. Things at home weren't going to great lately, unfortunately. Bella was back to her old ways. it wasn't as bad this time around, but it was still there. Typically I would come home to Bella drunk three out of the five days I work. I have had to call my Mom to go check up on her every day, and make sure Liam was being taken care of. Bella wasn't dangerous to Liam when she was drunk. She is functional when she is in that state, but when a person is drunk, no matter what the situation, they are not themselves.

I finished making my pitch for the new client who wanted a campaign to advertise their new deodorant for men. I was flawless in my speech; I work hard at my job. It seems to be the only thing I am good at these days, besides caring for Liam when I can of course. I have tried time and time again to get Bella to go to rehab, but she won't. She refuses. I understand her reasoning though, I remember her first time there unfortunately. I can't think about that right now. I have to finish this sale.

I concluded my speech, and everyone in the conference room clapped and had smiles. I smiled as well and caught Mitchell's eye. He winked and gave me a proud nod. The representative from the company got up to shake my hand. "I think that is a winner, son."

I shook his hand firmly. "I hope so." I responded.

Then he turned to Mitchell. "You really got lucky with this one, Mitchell."

Mitchell stood from his chair. "I know I did, he has been an exceptionally important figure to this company."

The representative, Mr. Wilson, turned back to me. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but how old are you, Mr. Cullen? You look quite young."

"I am 24, sir." I smiled, I really wasn't into small talk right now, but I didn't want to be rude, especially since if he decides to work with us, our numbers will go up profusely, which could also mean a raise for me.

He gasped. "Excuse me for my language, but you are shitting me right?"

I laughed. "No sir, I turned 24 this past June."

He stood with his mouth open in shock. "I am going to put in a lot of good words for you specifically Mr. Cullen. Wow, you are 24 years old. That is impressive."

"Thank you, sir. I like what I do."

"And that is good to see, you are going to be a very successful business man one day, Edward. Very successful."

"Thank you, I try."

He laughed. "Well it's working." He turned to his other partners. "Okay, I think we can go now. Keep in touch with the details so we can sign whatever you need us to sign to make this official." He went around and shook all of my colleagues' hands, ending with me. "24 four years old." He said in wonderment.

I laughed. "I will be in touch, Mr. Wilson." He clapped me on the shoulder, and then left the conference room. I started getting all of my papers and presentation boards in order, while everyone else packed up. I placed all of the papers back in my bag, and slung in over my shoulder. I walked up to Mitchell who was talking to his assistant, Jaylene. "I am going to head out now, Mitchell."

"Yes, yes, go home. Edward. You did good today."

I said thank you, and politely said bye to Jaylene. I made my way up to my office, Karen wasn't at her desk, so I figured she must have just gone home, but then when I walked in my office, I found her at my desk, writing something down. She looked up at me and gave me a smile.

"What's up, Karen. Why haven't you gone home yet?" I placed the bag on the couch in the far end of my office. I loosened the tie around my neck a little bit.

"I was actually just about to leave, but the phone rang and I needed to leave you the message."

"Who was it?"

Her look started to turn sympathetic. "It was your Mom, she wanted me to tell you that Bella isn't doing to good, and she just left. She gave Liam a bath and then had to get home." I sighed and rubbed my face with my hands. My hands traveled up my face and into my hair which I pulled at. I jumped when I felt Karen's hand on my shoulder. "So she isn't getting any better?" Karen knew about Bella's drinking problems. She has worked with me for a couple of years now, she knows what goes on.

I shook my head. "Nope." I walked over to my desk and started shutting down the computer.

"Did you ever think about maybe putting her in rehab again?" She asked.

"Of course I have. Bella has some problems with rehab though." I turned off the monitor, and pushed in my chair. "I have tried it so much, but she doesn't want help. She doesn't even think she needs it."

Karen nodded her head. "I know what you mean. I never told you this, but my mother was an alcoholic."

That was surprising. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean my situation was different from Bella's though. I always had my Dad in the picture. He helped my Mom all the time and still made time for me. He was amazing actually. But yeah, he had her admitted to rehab 7 times throughout my life." My eyes bulged out of my head I am sure, Bella has been in rehab three times, and I thought that was bad. "Yeah it is bad, I know. But she was sick you know? Alcoholism is a horrible thing for someone to have. But anyways, my Mom went to rehab 7 times, and she never got better, because it was never her decision to go."

"Where is your Mom now?" I didn't know if I even should have asked it, but I was also curious about other people who have dealt with alcoholism in their family. I need all the help I can get. Every time I think I am doing the right thing, I always turn out wrong.

Karen's eyes began to water. "My Dad died five months after I graduated high school. I almost didn't go to college to take care of her, you know? Because I knew that her drinking was unfair and some people may have thought she was just being a baby or whatever, but she couldn't help it, you know? No matter how many days I hated her or wished she wasn't my Mom, I still loved her." Now Karen let a couple of tears fall and I felt bad. I walked up to her and put an arm around her. "In the end, I went to college and my aunt said she was going to take care of her. My Mom killed herself, Edward. They found her in the bathtub with both of her wrists cut. She left a note, it was short, it pretty much just said she loved me, but the pain was too much to handle without my Dad."

Karen began to cry harder, and I held her closer. Karen's story got my mind racing a million miles a minute. I got what she was saying, the whole thing. I got what it felt like when people judged the person you love by only the negative. Some people just don't fully understand the full effect of alcoholism. A person who is an alcoholic has an inability to control their drinking. Sure they can control it to an extent, but it doesn't last long. Also people don't realize how the actual drinking is only a small part of the illness. Most alcoholics have traumatic pasts, and their mental health is also damaged. So as horrible as it is, it makes sense that Karen's mother died the way she did. She must have found herself lost, with no one beside her. Her brain couldn't wrap around the fact that she really did have someone there, even if it wasn't physically.

I will never let Bella get to that point.

* * *

As I entered the house all I heard were giggles. One genuine and the other so fake it hurt my ears. I dropped my bag at the door and shrugged off my jacket. I rolled up the sleeves on my button up to my elbows, and walked into the living room where Bella and Liam were. They were sitting on the floor across from each other with Play Dough on the coffee table in the middle of them. Bella had purple Play Dough on her nose as she made funny faces at Liam. Liam was laughing hysterically at her. Normally seeing Bella interact with Liam made me deliriously happy. I can't even count how many time I have walked in on her doing something cute with him, and then just standing in the sidelines watching the two most important people in my life interact.

Now I was just angry.

I walked quickly in the room, not even trying to be quiet, and they both turned to me. Bella smiled, but her eyes weren't focused on anything. "Daddy home!" Liam yelled and clapped his hands that were covered in different colors of Play Dough. He had Play Dough in his hair, on his pajamas, and I could even see some in the carpet. If this was the real Bella sitting across from him, she wouldn't have let this happen.

"Yay! Daddy's home!" Bella said and got up to hug me. She reached her hands out to me, but I grabbed them and brought them down to her side. She tried to lift them again. "Edward! Let me hug you!"

"No, Bella." It killed me a little inside denying her a fucking hug. I let go of her hands and walked to pick up Liam. He started kicking and screaming.

"Mommy!" He launched himself towards Bella and I almost didn't catch him in time before he fell to the floor. My heart dropped for that split second I thought he was going to fall, but I was able to get him. I held onto him tighter even though the Play Dough all over him was probably staining my white shirt. Liam tried to pry my arms off of him. "No, Daddy. Want Mommy. Mommy!" He continued reaching for her and I just started walking out of the room.

Bella caught my arm, and I shrugged it off. "Edward give me my child."

"He is our child, Bella." I snapped. I was sweating and I am sure my face was red with the fury. "And I will not give him to you when you are like this. What the hell is your problem? It is just about 9:30 at night and Liam was supposed to be in bed long ago. Instead you are out here playing Play Dough with him, getting him all dirty right after he took a bath."

She crossed her arms like a child. "We were just having fun." She then began to pout. If this were my Bella, I would have wanted to kiss the pout off her face. But this was not my Bella.

"There is a time for fun, and 9:30 at night for a one and a half year old is not that time." Liam was still screaming, and he started to hit me. I grabbed his hand that was hitting me on my shoulder. "Do not hit." I said sternly and loudly to him. This time he pouted and I felt like shit.

"Want Mommy! Want Mommy! Want MOMMY!" He screamed. I was starting to get a headache that started when I heard Bella's giggle when I walked in the door. I started to tell myself to not freak out and start screaming at Liam. He didn't know any better. To him, Bella right now was being fun and playful, and I was the bad guy.

"Just let me have him, Edward." Bella said from behind me. I could see she was starting to shift to the second stage of her drunkenness.

"No, I am going to give him another bath. You just go rest or something Bella." I walked up the stairs with a still screaming Liam, but I could still hear the sounds of Bella's sobs. It was like an automatic reaction when the ache went throughout my chest hearing her cry. Even though I knew that wasn't really my Bella, my Bella was still in there somewhere, and it still hurt my heart to hear her cry. As I made it up the bathroom, Liam was still crying. "Liam buddy please stop crying."

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and I went to lock the bathroom door shut. "Edward!" She wailed. "Edward why don't you love me anymore?" Now that dull ache intensified, and it seemed to form the huge lump that developed in my throat. Liam was still crying as I tried to get his clothes of his moving body.

That is not the real Bella… That is not the real Bella… That is not the real Bella…She doesn't know what she is saying…She knows you love her...

"Edward!" She was pounding on the door. "Edward! I love you, Edward! Can you tell me you love me, Edward! I need to hear you love me!" She was still crying I knew that this wasn't my Bella.

I shouldn't have said it. Logically I shouldn't have said it, but my Bella was still in there, and that caused my heart to send the message to my brain to tell her I love her. "I love you, Bella." My eyes were burning. It was just so hard. I knew what I should be doing in my head, but my heart always made me do the opposite. "I love you now can you please just wait in our room."

"Thank you, Edward. I love you more." She said softer now, but loud enough so I could hear her. I heard her footsteps walk away, and I turned back to Liam who was still crying. I tried to just block out his cries because I knew mostly he was just tired. I started the water and then a tear fell from my eye. I knew I shouldn't have said anything back to Bella. But I just couldn't resist. I wish this was easier. I wish she would just wake up one morning cured. I clamped my mouth shut tight so the sob wouldn't come out of my throat. I lifted Liam and put him the water. Tears kept on falling. I was working on cleaning Liam like a robot, like I wasn't really there. I was brought back to reality though when I felt a small finger on my cheek.

I looked up at my boy, his brown eyes just like Bella's. He stopped crying, and now his eyes were now full of as much concern a little boy can have. "Daddy?" He used his index finger and wiped away my tears. "Daddy no sad. Daddy no cry."

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, buddy."

"Happy, Daddy. Smile big." I almost started crying again, but this time with the love I have for my son, and also how much he picked up. Smile big was something Bella would tell Liam when he was crying for no apparent reason. She is usually so patient with him. She would take him in her arms, sit down with him on the couch with him facing her, and try to make him smile again. She would always say 'Smile big, beautiful boy. Show Mommy your beautiful smile.'

I gave my son the best smile I could. He smiled back, showing me his small teeth, and started clapping his hands. "Thank you, son."

He puckered his lips out to me and I bent over the side of the tub to kiss him. "Wuv Daddy."

"I love you too, bud." I ruffled his hair and got a cup filled with water. "Now let's get you cleaned up." It was amazing how my mood can change dramatically by Liam.

* * *

I woke up late the next morning. Not really late, it was only 8:30, but I usually get up at six, so yeah it was late. I lie in bed with my arms behind my head. I am just in a pair of pajama pants with no shirt. My chain was resting on my chest, the metal cold on my skin. It was a reminder of who is important in my life. Beside me, Bella is sleeping. She has her hands under her face as she is sleeping on her stomach. I can't help but sneak a peek at her every once in a while, and just look at how beautiful she was. No matter how pissed I was at her yesterday, she is still my Bella. I sat lying awake thinking about what I should do next. I knew what I should do, I should send her to rehab; that is what any doctor would say. That is what anyone on the outside looking in would say. But it isn't that simple. If it was, there wouldn't be as many alcoholics in the world as there is today.

Half of the battle is getting the person to agree to go. I think Bella will take a bit longer than others because of her past experiences with rehab. Especially her first one….

_~Flashback~_

_**16 Years Old**_

"_I am so glad you took me here, Edward." Tanya said as she picked up a menu to start looking for what she wanted to eat. Edward already knew what he wanted because he went there all the time. _

"_That's good." She smiled and started going on talking about some of the gossip that is going around in school. Edward tried to listen, he really did, but his head was somewhere else. He was wondering where Bella was, and if she was safe. Tanya and Edward have been dating for a month now. She was an alright girl. She was nice, she was pretty, and she liked Edward a lot. He felt bad, because he was thinking about breaking up with her soon. Edward always felt guilty hanging out with Tanya, because all he ever thought about when he was with her was Bella. Edward knew that he would choose Bella over Tanya in a heartbeat and that wasn't fair to Tanya._

_They ate dinner with Tanya doing most of the talking. She started listing all of her favorites to Edward without him having to ask. Favorite color: pink. Bella likes green. Favorite movie: The Breakfast Club. Bella likes Forrest Gump. Favorite food: salad. Bella likes French fries. It continued on like that. Every favorite that Tanya listed was just not Bella. _

_They left the restaurant, and Tanya wanted to go to the movies, but Edward told her that he wasn't feeling too good. He drove her home, and they parted with a small kiss on the lips. Edward drove home thinking about if he will see Bella when he gets home. When he got to his house he saw there was no car in Bella's driveway, and there were no lights on in the house. Either Bella is sleeping, or she went out again. _

_Edward was leaning toward the latter. _

_Edward walked in the house and found his parents in the living room. "Hey guys." He said before starting to walk up the steps, but then Carlisle called him back down. He turned and went to the living room._

"_How was your date tonight, Edward?" Carlisle asked. _

_Edward shrugged. "It was alright." Edward didn't want to go too much into detail about the situation with Tanya, and was saved by the ringing of the telephone. "I'll get it." He said and then walked over to the corded phone on the wall. "Hello?" _

"_Edward! Good thing you are home." It was Emmett. _

"_Why?" _

"_You need to come to Jamie Masterson's house, dude. Bella is so drunk, she is having a hard time standing up. Jasper and I have tried to get her to stop and leave the house, but she won't listen to us man." _

_Edward sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, what is the address?" _

* * *

_Edward pulled up to Jamie's house. He could already hear the music coming from inside. There were people littering out front. Some sitting on cars, a couple of couples making out on the grass, and some smoking either cigarettes or weed. Edward parked his car, and locked his doors. He walked up the path to the front door where Emmett was supposed to meet him. _

"_Is that Edward Cullen?" _

"_He is so hot." _

"_Ew but he is a nerd." _

"_He never comes to parties." _

_Edward could hear everyone around him commenting on his presence. He was sure they wouldn't have been so loud if half of them weren't drunk, or under the influence of something. Teenagers are fucking crazy. Edward saw Emmett at the door and he jogged up the steps to approach him. "She is this way." Emmett said and Edward followed him to where the living room was. This room was filled with people dancing, if you could call it that. The majority of the people were grinding and some were just swaying. Unfortunately for Edward and his heart, Bella was amongst the ones grinding. She was giggling as some dirt bag was grinding up on her from behind. He had his hands on her thighs, and he kept rubbing up and down, while whispering in her ear. Bella was giggling at all he said. Edward took action when the guy started kissing and licking Bella's neck. _

_He walked through the sweaty, grinding people to get to them. "Hey!" He yelled so the guy could hear him over the music. The guy took his head out of Bella's neck and looked up to Edward. _

"_Edward!" Bella squealed, she tried to launch herself in Edward's arms, but the guy held her to him. "Hey!" Bella said and tried to get his arms off, but he wouldn't let go. _

"_Get your hands off of her." Edward growled._

"_Go get your own, pansy. This one here is mine." He went back to placing kisses on Bella's neck, but this time Bella tried to get away. _

"_She is mine. Now get your fucking hands off of her." _

_The guy laughed and then turned Bella's face to him. He practically stuck his tongue in her mouth, and Bella screamed. Luckily Emmett and Jasper finally came over, and they both took the guy by each shoulder and pried his hands off of Bella. Once she was free she ran straight for Edward and threw her arms around Edward's neck. He hugged her back, and Emmett and Jasper started to escort him out of the room by his arms. _

"_That's alright; she probably would have been a bad fuck anyway." The guy yelled. Edward let go of Bella and stalked over to where he was. Edward wasn't a violent person, but he just saw red when he heard him say that about Bella. As soon as Edward was in reaching distance he pulled his fist back force it forward right against the guys jaw. His head jerked to the right, and blood came out of his mouth. Emmett and Jasper threw the guy to the ground. Edward wanted to say something, but decided not to waste his breath, he would probably never see this guy again. _

_He turned back to Bella whose mouth was open in shock. Edward grabbed her hand. "Come on Bella, we are leaving." _

_She nodded her head and followed Edward out the door. They walked out to Edward's car and Edward opened the passenger door for her. Bella didn't get in though; she just jumped and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck. Edward hugged her back, glad that she was safe in his arms now. Bella turned her head and kissed the side of Edward's. Edward caught a whiff of her horrible alcohol breath, but he appreciated the kiss none the less. _

"_Thank you, Edward." _

"_You're welcome, Bella." _

_She kissed his cheek and then got in the car. Edward shut the door for her, and went to the driver's seat. He pulled out of his parking spot, and headed home. "Why did you do it, Edward?" Edward noticed Bella was in her second stage of her drunkenness. She seemed normal now, but that could change any moment now. _

"_Do what, exactly?"_

"_You know, punch the living day lights out of that guy." _

"_He was being disrespectful toward you, and I love you, so I needed to protect you." She leaned over the center console and took Edward's face in her hands and kissed his cheek; he kept his eyes on the road though. _

"_I love you too, but you weren't jealous were you?" She asked and pinched Edward's side. _

_Edward couldn't help but smile. "No Bella I was not jealous." _

"_Can I tell you a secret?" Her tone was serious now. She wasn't playing around. Edward didn't know if he wanted to know the secret, for fear that it would make Bella become more upset. _

_But he was unable to deny her anything. "Yeah, tell me." _

"_I get jealous….you know…of Tanya." _

_That was the last thing Edward ever thought would come out of Bella's mouth. "You do?" _

"_Yeah." Edward didn't know what else to say. Does that mean Bella wants to be a couple? Would Edward want that too? After Edward thought about what that would mean to their relationship, and the only difference he could think of was that he would be able to kiss her if they were a couple and no other guy could have Bella. They were already inseparable as friends. Did Edward want to kiss Bella? He turned to look at her quickly. She had her head against the window, looking at the trees pass by. He noticed the way her hair fell in her face, he saw the pout of her lips, and the pure beauty that was Bella. Yeah, he wanted to kiss her. _

_He was just about to say something to her, but the flashing of lights caught his attention when they pulled onto the street him and Bella lived on. Those flashing lights came from a police car, and that police car came from in front of Bella's driveway. Bella jumped in her seat. "Oh my God." She said nervously. Neighbors were standing outside to see what was going on. Edward pulled the car in the driveway and they both started walking to Bella's house. Bella grabbed Edward's hand for the support. There was a police officer standing in front of the front door. _

_He held a hand out in front of them. "Whoa, hold it there. I am going to need to ask you to step off of the property." _

"_But this is my house! I live here." Bella said desperately. _

_Before the police officer could say anything, the front door opened, and an officer walked out. He was holding Renee's arm and her hands were in cuffs behind her back. Renee looked up and saw Bella. "That's my daughter. That is the one I was telling you about. She is very irresponsible and gets drunk every night." _

_Bella stepped back like the words out of Renee's mouth was the equivalent to a smack in the face. The cop who was standing at the door grabbed Bella's arm. "I am going to need to have you come with me." _

"_No!" She held onto Edward's arm. _

"_You need to come with me, ma'am. We are not taking you away; I just need to ask you a few questions."_

_Bella still looked hesitant, and looked up to Edward. "Go ahead. I will be right here." Bella nodded her head, and squeezed Edward's hand before letting go and following the officer. Edward stood in his spot and watched as Renee was guided into the back seat of the cop car. He also noticed another man being guided into another one. Edward figured it must have been another one of Renee's boyfriends. Edward felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Carlisle and Esme. "What happened?" He asked. _

"_Well from what I heard, that man was a drug dealer, and Renee let him store some of his products in the house." Esme answered. Edward got angry with Renee like he always does. What kind of person does that? Helps someone they barely know store drugs in a home where your 16 year old daughter lives. _

"_NO!" Edward heard someone scream, not just any someone. Bella. He looked in the direction that the scream came from, and saw Bella running away from three cops. She ran fast, tears falling down her face towards Edward. She was a couple of inches away from him and then she jumped on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist in an iron grip. Her jumping on him caused Edward to fall down on his butt, but Bella never let go, if anything, her grip only got tighter. Her body was shaking violently with the sobs coming out, and Edward held her tightly to him also. _

"_What's the matter, Bella?" He asked frantically. _

"_They are going to take me away Edward. They said I am going to be in district's custody and they are going to send me to rehab. They are going to take me away, Edward…away from you. Please don't let them." She held onto him, and Edward's grip tightened as well. He can't let them take her. Just like Bella can't be without Edward, Edward can't be without Bella. It was impossible. He couldn't let it happen. Two officers came over to them and started to try and get Bella out of Edward's arms. _

"_No! No! No!" Bella kept screaming. Her fingernails started digging into Edward's skin on his neck with the force of her grip. "Please don't take me away from him!" _

"_Son, you are going to have to let go of her." One of the cops said. Hearing his words triggered something inside of Edward that caused the tears to fall down his cheeks. _

_He can't let her go. Not ever. _

"_Please. Please just let her stay with us. She is close to my family. Just please don't take her away." Edward pleaded with the officers. _

"_We're sorry, but we need her to come with us." This time both officers went to grabbed Bella away. Edward and Bella both held on tighter to the other. When they finally got a grip of Bella's waist, they only ended up dragging Edward along with her._

"_Don't do this. Please." Edward plead, his own sobs started building up._

_He then felt people pulling him from behind him now. "Son, you have to let her go. We will try all we can to get her to stay with us, but you need to let her go." Carlisle whispered in Edward's ear. Edward just shook his head. _

"_I can't. I just can't." _

"_Edward you need to do this. You can, honey, we will try all we can." Esme said now. _

_Edward shook his head, holding onto Bella, his grip never wavering. Deep down he knew this was a fight he wasn't going to win, but how could he just give up? "At least let me talk to her." Edward said. The officers looked hesitant, but they let go of Bella who was still crying hysterically in Edward's arms. Edward waited for everyone to back off so he could talk to Bella in private. "Bella." She didn't answer, just kept on crying in Edward's shoulder. "Bella look at me sweetheart, please." Bella lifted her head and looked at Edward. She still had a grip on his neck, her legs still tight around him. If she held on any tighter to him, she would have become a part of him. Edward lifted his arms from around her waist, and ran them through her hair, his eyes darting around her face, trying to burn the image of her face in his mind to keep with him when she leaves. "You are going to have to go with them, Bella." _

"_I can't, Edward." _

"_You can. I know it is going to be hard, Bella. I know that. But you have to do this, okay? Carlisle and Esme said they are going to try everything they can to get you back to us, but you just need to go for now." _

"_Edward." She choked out. "I need you. You are the only person who gets me. These people don't get me. I can't go." _

"_You can, Bella. We will be together again, I promise you." She shook her head and rested her head on his shoulder again, holding tighter, crying harder. "You just have to remember that I love you, Bella. I love you so much it hurts. I will always be here waiting for you. I love you." _

"_I love you too, Edward. Please don't make me go." Edward didn't know what else to say to her so he just turned his head into her hair, and breathed in deeply also committing her smell to memory. He lifted his head, and looked at the officers over her shoulder and gave them a slight nod. Both officers went closer to Bella, and started to grab her around her waist. "No! Please!" Edward thought he was going to pass out from the pain in his chest, and with a heavy heart he let go of Bella's waist. He began crying some more as his hands started prying hers off of him. He was having a hard time getting her hands off of his neck, so he went to push her legs off of him. He got her legs free, and one of the officers grabbed them so she couldn't wrap them around him again. Bella was screaming and crying, scared of the unknown, scared of having to be away from Edward. _

_The officer's finally got her arms off of Edward's neck, and Edward staggered back when she let go and fell to the ground. His legs no longer working. A pain in his chest so intense. Tears falling from his eyes. Seeing the girl he loves being dragged away from him, when he knew she needed him. He was helpless. _

"_Edward! Edward!" She kept calling for him, reaching for him. Edward had to force himself from going to her. Carlisle and Esme knelt down next to Edward and put hands on his shaking shoulders for support. The officers got Bella in the back of the cop car and drove off, the sounds of Bella's heart wrenching screams fading away until they were gone. There was silence on the street. Edward was trying to hold himself together. It was a dream. It had to be. But it wasn't._

_~End Flashback~_

I didn't see Bella until 10 months after that day. The separation was hard on me. I was a shell of the person I was before. The life in my eyes were gone, because my life was taken away from me screaming in a cop car. Bella went straight to rehab when they took her away. She only lasted two months before they sent her off on bad behavior. Then that left Bella in the district's custody. She went to five foster homes, and even spent time in an orphanage. Renee was sentenced to three years in prison, so Bella was left on her own. She didn't know who her father was, and she had no family. All she had was me and my family. But it took them awhile to get all the paper work done since we were not related.

That night is the reason Bella hates rehabs. She associates going to rehab as people taking her away from me. That night changed me as a person so much. I grew up that night. I was no longer a boy, I was a man. I don't agree with the way the cops handled that situation with Bella. But the person I blamed the most was Renee. I really fucking hate that woman. The only good thing she did in her life was create Bella. If she was a normal mother, if she wasn't a drunk, and if she didn't bring random men to her house every day, Bella would probably not be an alcoholic at all. I would be able to have MY Bella all the time. Liam would have HIS mother all the time.

I hate her. I just really, really, really, fucking do.

**Okay, next chapter will be the big jump. It will be a couple of years, but we are only getting closer to the prologue. A lot of people were asking about Bella's past with rehabs, so now you know about the first time. It was so out of the blue for Bella, and she was blindsided by it, and she had to abruptly leave Edward. That night was traumatic for her, so that is why rehab is hard for her to do. **

**Please review and tell me what you thought! **


	12. Chapter 11: Union

_**Chapter 11: Union  
August 6, 2006**_

**EPOV**

There was a cool breeze coming from the window, and it felt good on my bare skin. I lie on my side, looking out the window to the August morning. The noises around me were soft and calming to my ears. I could hear the birds chirping outside. The sound of the wind as it whipped through the window. I could hear my breathing and I could hear Bella's behind me. Last night was really not that bad. It was one of Bella's milder nights. She has been a functioning alcoholic for three straight years now. She drank every day, but the amounts always vary. It was usually hot or cold. I will either come home from work and she will be full on drunk, or sometimes I will come home and she will just barely be tipsy. As much as I know she hates it, I have brought up rehab with her a lot of the years. Each time she would refuse. The first couple of times I mentioned it, she even had panic attacks. But other than the panic attacks, those conversations would usually end in a fight.

Me and Bella have fought a lot over the years. Well actually, I shouldn't say me and Bella fought a lot, because 95% of our fights happen when she is drunk, when she is not herself. We never fight in front of Liam though. That is one thing that me and drunk Bella agree on.

Liam is four now, and he is the most amazing and beautiful little person in this word. He is smart. He knows all of his colors, he can count to 20, he knows the alphabet, and I have been working with him to learn his shapes. He has a personality much like Bella's. He cares deeply for the members in our family. He is also sensitive. At home, he is loud and crazy, but when we are out in public, he is really shy. If anyone he doesn't know try to talk to him when me or Bella was around, he would hide his face and stay with us the whole time. I don't think it is a bad thing, he just takes longer to warm up to people.

Now Liam doesn't understand what is going on with Bella. Her behavior is normal to him. Like I have said before, Bella is not a danger to Liam when she is drunk. Everyone has different reactions to alcohol, and though Bella gets drunk, she is a functioning alcoholic. She is able to do day to day activities, but she is just not herself. Liam is too young to see the difference though, and Bella is just his Mom that he loves dearly. I dreaded the day Liam did notice a difference though.

I was actually looking forward to today though. Today was mine and Bella's seventh wedding anniversary. I have been married to the love of my life for seven years now. Although times have been tough, they have also been good too. The thing with the situation with Bella is, when things were bad they were really bad. But when they were good, they were so good it was hard to even remember that the bad has ever happened. That is what keeps me going.

I was taken out of my thinking by the feeling of soft lips on my back. Goose bumps formed on my skin from the contact, and I sighed in contentment. She continued scattering kisses up my back and twined her hand with mine that was over my stomach. She used her other hand to run through my hair. Her kisses ended up making it to my neck, and then she sucked my earlobe into her mouth. I moaned and finally moved so I was lying on my back so I could see her beautiful face. Mornings were my favorite time with Bella. It seems with work, that mornings were the small amount of time that I got to be with _my_ Bella. Sure most of the time she was hungover, but she was still _my _Bella, and I will take as much time with her I can get.

I rolled onto my back and I saw her face. She was smiling and biting her lip. Her hand was still in my hair, and she ran her fingernails lightly along my scalp. I twined our hands together again, and lifted my head to kiss her lips, morning breath and all. "Good morning, love."

She kissed my lips before she spoke, even adding a little tongue action that was getting me pretty turned on. "Good morning, handsome." She said and attached her mouth to mine once again. Our kiss was hungry and passionate. I shifted myself so that I was on top of her, holding my weight with my elbows. I palmed her right breast in my hand, and got a delicious moan out of her mouth. I never stopped kissing her though. She ran her hands over my bare back, down until she got to the top of my boxers, teasingly brushing her hands underneath them. Our actions were causing me to become impossibly hard, and I hope Liam will stay asleep long enough for me to make love to my wife on our anniversary.

I began to pull down Bella's pajama shorts while still kissing her. She moaned in my mouth, and I knew she wanted it too. I finally got her shorts off, and she began to pull my boxers down. She put her hand around me, and began stroking. "Mmm…I love you." I said against her lips. She started to guide me to her entrance when we heard the bathroom door down the hall open and close.

Liam was awake.

Thanks a lot, kid.

I groaned, because I knew we had to stop. Liam's routine on Sunday mornings have been the same since he was able to get out of his room. He would wake up, go to the bathroom, and come and lay in bed with me and Bella for a little while. Bella only laughed and I climbed off of on top of her. I pulled my boxers up, and she did the same with her shorts. I lay on my back, concentrating, trying to solve the big problem I had down under. Bella noticed my concentration and laughed. I turned to glare at her. She only laughed more and bent down to kiss my head, but I moved my head out of her reach.

"Kissing me right now will not help my situation, Bella." She rolled her eyes, but otherwise laid down on her back and sighed. It took me a couple minutes, but with thoughts of things that disgust me, I got everything under control. "Okay, you can kiss me now."

She laughed, and then kissed my lips. "Happy Anniversary, baby."

I smiled. "Happy Anniversary, love."

We heard the toilet flush down the hall, and then the sound of little footsteps running toward our room. "Ew. No kissy kissy please." Liam said as he entered the room.

We both laughed, and Bella got off of me and sat up, holding her arms out to Liam. He was only wearing a big white t-shirt, his Spider-man underwear, and socks. He jumped up on the bed, and instantly went to sit in Bella's lap. She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed the top of his head.

"Good morning, my handsome boy." She murmured against the top of his head.

He snuggled closer to her. "Good morning, Mommy." This was the kind of interactions I like to see between my wife and son. This right here is my real Bella, being a loving mother to our son.

"Uh, Liam. Are you going to say good morning to me too?" I asked, still lying down with my hands behind my head.

Liam lifted his head, and smiled at me. "'Good morning, Daddy."

"Your Mom gets a big hug and kiss, and I just get a 'good morning Daddy'?" I said, teasing with him.

"You need to wait your turn, Daddy." Bella and I both laughed at his comment, and then my cell phone started to ring on the side of me. I picked it up, and saw that it was Jasper. I got up off the bed and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Edward. You got a minute?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, sure what's up?"

"Can you go in a room alone?" Okay, now that is never something I want to hear.

"Uh, alright, one second." I took the phone from my ear. I walked up to Bella and Liam who were talking quietly with each other on the bed. "Hey, I am just going to take this call in the other room, alright?" Bella looked up at me, concerned, but nodded her head anyway. Liam nodded his head too and still had his hold on Bella. I kissed Bella's head, and then Liam's. "I better get my hug and kiss when I get back, short stuff."

"You are so impafent, Daddy." I smiled hearing him mispronounce a word. There weren't very many that he does mispronounce, and I guess impatient is one of them. I laughed and then walked out of the room. I went to the bathroom down the hall and brought the phone back to my ear.

"Alright, I'm alone. What is this about, Jasper?"

"Well I have some news that I don't know how you will feel about."

"Okay well what is it about?"

"Renee." Fuck. Nothing good can come from hearing that name. I pinched the bridge of my nose while mentally preparing myself for whatever he was going to say.

"Okay, what about her?"

"Well she was arrested last night." Well that wasn't bad. That was brilliant, actually. "But," Oh, there is the 'but', the 'but' that put my hopes down. "She was let out on bail."

"Who the hell bailed her out?"

"A man named Jacob Black. He is a young guy, only in his early thirties, and a known drug dealer around the area."

"Fuck." Drug dealers were no joke. They were as dangerous as fuck, and even though Bella doesn't associate with her Mom, Bella is related to Renee, and there is paperwork on that shit. If Renee does anything to piss off the wrong people, they could try and hurt Renee anyway they can, and that is sometimes through family. But what they don't know is that Renee doesn't care about her family one bit, and the only people they would be hurting is Bella, which would hurt me, and which would hurt Liam. Even thinking about someone like that coming anywhere near Bella or Liam was enough to make me want to vomit.

"I know. Anyways, he bailed her out, but she is still awaiting trial."

"What was she arrested for in the first place?"

"Prostitution and possession of methamphetamines."

I took a deep breath, trying to contain my cool. "Alright. Well I appreciate you keeping me up to date on this shit, but please don't tell me this is going to affect Bella in any way."

Jasper was a lawyer, and a damn good one at that. "I'm sorry Edward, but it does."

"Fuck." I know I have been saying that a lot, but it was the only thing I can think to say, this fucking sucks. Bella is already not in a good state right now, and she really doesn't need this shit right now. _We _don't need this shit right now.

"She is free now, but there is a trial, and Bella is going to be subpoenaed to testify."

I had to restrain myself from punching a whole in the wall. "Are you fucking shitting me, Jasper? Bella hasn't seen her mother for over three years, and now she is going to have to testify against her in court?"

"I'm sorry, Edward. I tried to pull the subpoena myself, but the judge is not having that."

"Well when is the trial."

"It is actually on Valentine's Day. I know it is far away, but I thought it was better to tell you early so you can prepare yourself, and Bella."

I sighed loudly. Why does Renee have to screw everything up? "Okay, well thanks for calling." We both said goodbye, and I hung up the phone. I braced my hands on the counter of the bathroom sink, and tried to calm myself down. There was no way in hell I was going to tell Bella about this today. It was our anniversary, and I just wanted us to have this day with no Renee drama hanging over our heads. I will tell her though; when I know the time is right.

* * *

"Oh, Daddy. I want that car right there." Liam said, about the red Mustang that was driving right on the side of us. Liam was looking out the window while sitting in his booster seat. He had an obsession with cars. He wanted every car there ever was.

"Oh yeah, well do you know what kind of car that is, bud?" I bought him a book that was filled with cars. It had all the different makes and models. He didn't know how to read yet of course, but every night after dinner, he would bring the big book over to me, and we would sit with each other on the recliner while I read to him about each car. He was always filled with questions, and it was one of my favorite parts of the day.

"That is a Mustang." I knew he would know what it was, because that car has always been his favorite.

"Good job, honey." Bella said from the passenger seat, looking back at Liam fondly. It was around three o'clock now, and so far we have spent the whole day with Liam. Bella hasn't had one drink all day, and I was more than happy. Now we were bringing Liam over to Rose and Emmett's house so Bella and I can go have some alone time for our anniversary. Liam and his cousins got along well. Along with Nick and Emma, Rosalie and Emmett now have another daughter, one year old Alyssa Marie Cullen.

"Thanks, Mommy." We pulled into Emmett and Rose's driveway. Liam unbuckled his seat belt and jumped out of his booster seat. He tried to open the door, but there was a child lock. Me and Bella laughed at his frustrated face when he couldn't open the door. "This is not funny." He said. I got out of the car and opened the door for him. "Thanks, Daddy." He ran ahead of us into the house. I saw Bella standing outside the passenger side door, playing with her hands. She seemed like she was concentrating really hard. I knew what she was doing. She wanted a drink.

She usually starts drinking around 3:30, but she promised me yesterday, when she was sober, that she would not drink today since it was our anniversary. Bella has made it a goal of hers to not drink on special occasions; holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. I could tell it was hard for her, and sometimes she cracked and would have a drink late at night when I was sleeping. I don't think she knows I know this. It sucks that she is unable to go a full 24 hours without a drink, but I appreciate it when I get to spend the whole day with _my_ Bella. I walked up to her and took her in my arms. She wrapped her arms around my waist and sighed loudly.

I dropped my head down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you." I said against her hair.

"I love you more." I smiled and pulled away from her. I took her face in my hands and kissed her sweetly. It felt good kissing Bella when her breath smelt like tooth paste instead of alcohol.

"Come on, let's go say bye to our boy." She sighed and nodded her head. We walked into Emmett and Rosalie's house and heard all of the talking coming from the living room. Emmett was on the ground playing with Liam, Nick, and Emma. Rosalie was holding a laughing Alyssa; both looked up at us when we walked in.

"Hey guys." She said while getting up with Alyssa. Alyssa reached for me and I smiled. Alyssa really liked me for some reason. I don't know why, because I don't really see her that much, but when I do, she only wants me to hold her. I didn't mind though, I loved it actually. I loved little Alyssa. She had hair so blonde it was almost white, and she barely had any of it, with big blue eyes like her parents. I took her in my arms and peppered her little face with kisses. She laughed, and when I was done, she did the same to me, but I just ended up with a lot of baby slobber on my face. It was sweet though. I heard Bella laugh next to me and I looked over and smiled at her. She was looking at me with so much love and I just wanted to kiss her again. I love when _my_ Bella is here.

She looked away from me with the smile still on her face to look at Liam. "Liam honey, we are leaving." Emmett had Liam pinned to the ground with one hand, and Liam pushed his arm away to run at us, he went to Bella first. Bella knelt down to his level, and kissed his forehead. "I love you, baby. Be good for your Aunt and Uncle, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy." I kissed Alyssa's cheek and then handed her back to Rose. I squatted down next to both of them. Liam smiled sadly at me and then hugged me around my neck. "You will be back tonight, right?" He sounded worried.

"Of course, bud. We will be here at 9 o clock sharp." He nodded his head, and then kissed Bella. He gave me one more kiss on the cheek before running back over to Emmett. Bella and I said bye to Emmett, Rose, and their kids, and I gave Alyssa one more kiss on the cheek. I want one of those. I mean I already have a beautiful son that is my world, but I want a little girl. A little girl just like Bella. Bella and I both walked to the car silently, holding hands. We were going to the place we always go on our anniversaries. We were going to a park in Seattle where our tree was. That tree is significant, because it was under that tree that I got my life back…

~_Flashback~_

_**17 Years old**_

"_Come on, Edward! We have to go now!" Esme called up to Edward. He was lying down on his bed, hands behind his head, just staring at the ceiling. He wondered what Bella was doing, if she was happy. It has been 10 months since she has been gone, and the last he heard was that she was in rehab. He has been very angry in the months Bella has been gone. He was angry at a lot of people that didn't necessarily deserve his anger; including himself. But most of his anger is pointed toward Renee. It was Renee's fault Bella even got addicted to alcohol in the first place. Bella was still a child when Renee used her innocence and vulnerability to get her to start drinking with her. Bella only wanted some form of affection from her mother, and Renee made it so that was the only way Bella could get that, was if she went out drinking with her. It made Edward sick. _

"_Edward Cullen, let's go! This is going to be a fun day!" 'Yeah, fun.' Edward thought. Edward and the rest of the Cullen's were on their way to a Cullen family reunion. Esme has been talking about it for weeks, and how much fun they were all going to have. Edward didn't understand how he would have fun by having a cookout with a bunch of people that is supposedly his family that he barely knows, or has never even met before. They all know what happened with Bella, and it was a high possibility some people will talk, which will only intensify Edward's anger against the world. _

_He sighed loudly as he got up off the bed. He walked down the steps and saw Esme had a huge smile on her face, she looked like she just won the lottery, and Edward couldn't see what was so great about a family reunion. He thought maybe she would think he would have fun because it was at a park, but she doesn't realize he is 17 years old. Parks stopped being a fun place to be five years ago. _

"_Hey Edward! You ready to play that volleyball game and kick some serious ass?" Emmett asked. Emmett was home for the week on vacation from college. _

"_I don't really think I am going to play, Emmett." Edward said. Emmett face fell, his heart going out to Edward. He has realized how much Bella's absence has been affecting him. The whole family has been trying to get him to come out of the funk, but it is not working. _

"_Oh Edward, you are going to have today. I just know it!" Esme said, still smiley and perky, unusual, but now Edward realized where Alice got it from. All three of them walked out to the car where Alice was already in the back seat, the radio blaring and her singing loudly. They all got in the car and headed to the park. _

"_Where is Dad?" Edward asked. _

_Esme snuck a small smile to Emmett in the driver's seat before turning to Edward. "He is going to meet us there, he got held up at work." Edward nodded his head and then continued looking out the window. They arrived at the park shortly, and Edward internally groaned when he saw how many people were there. He got out of the car with everyone else, and they walked toward every one. Esme smiled and said hi to pretty much everyone there, then they would say hi to the three kids, and that just continued for about 10 minutes. After they said hi to everyone, everyone started splitting up. Emmett was talking with some of the guys, Alice was in the corner talking with some girls, and Esme was talking with some ladies. Edward felt awkward just standing in the middle of the park, so he decided to go to one of the tables and get a drink. On his way there, an older couple stopped him. _

"_Is that really you, Edward?" The woman asked. _

"_Uh…yeah." _

"_Oh well I am your Aunt Clara and this is your Uncle Clark, do you remember us?" _

"_Uh, no sorry." He didn't want to seem rude, but he also didn't want to get caught up in a lie. _

"_Oh well the last time we saw you was when you were this little." She lowered her hand down close to the floor. Edward forced a small smile. "But I would recognize those eyes anywhere." She said and put her hands on either side of Edward's face gently, looking straight in his eyes. She turned her head towards Clark. "Look at those eyes, Clark. Do those not scream Elizabeth?" _

_Edward felt a small pain in his chest at hearing his mother's name. Lately Edward has been thinking about his parents a lot. He thought about how much he missed them. He also thought about them because he realized that he got two sets of parents, and Bella didn't even get one. It was just not fair. _

"_Yeah those are definitely Lizzie's eyes, but look at that face, Clara. He looks just like Edward Sr." They continued studying Edward and exchanging ideas on how he got his looks. They asked Edward a couple of questions and only halfway acting like they really cared. Edward had to fake a smile the whole time and he was really getting sick of it. He politely excused himself, only to have him be lost on where to go again. He really didn't want to talk to anyone; he wanted to be anywhere but there. He decided that he would just get away from everyone else. He walked around the perimeter of the area, and stopped when he found a single tree. It was in the perfect place. It was away from everyone, but he was still in the looking distance of everyone. He decided to just sit under the tree. No one will make the effort to walk all that way to just talk to him, and that was what he wanted. _

_Once he got to the tree, he sat against the trunk under the shade. He sat with his legs crossed, and he began to pull blades of grass out of the ground to pass the time. He could hear everyone's chatter, their laughing, the sound of the volleyball being hit, the sound of burgers sizzling on the numerous grills. All sounds that sound like a good time, but not to Edward. He continued picking at the grass around him until he heard a lot of people say 'Carlisle!' at the same time. Edward looked up and sure enough, Carlisle had arrived. Esme greeted him first and Edward noticed she whispered something in his ear. When he pulled away he smiled and nodded. _

_He put his head back down, and continued pulling grass. There was a big brown patch forming. He could hear someone walking toward him, but he hoped it was just some random passerby in the park, and they would leave him alone. He continued pulling the grass out of the ground. He stopped though when he felt a presence in front of him. He looked to the ground in front of him, and saw an old pair of sneakers. He slowly lifted his head, and he gasped at who he saw. _

_It was like all of the anger inside of him vanished. It was like all of a sudden he could breathe again. It was like his heart all of a sudden started beating again, the blood pumping through his veins again, giving him life. It was like heaven seeing Bella again._

_She had her hands over her mouth, tears flowing down her cheeks, her body shaking slightly from her crying, and her big brown eyes only on Edward. It was like she couldn't believe she was actually standing in front of him. _

_Edward jumped up from the ground and walked right up to Bella. He moved her hands off of her face. She moved her hands, and brought them up to Edward's cheeks, cradling his face in her hands. He put his hands on her face, studying her every feature. He noticed that nothing but everything changed in her face. Her face still looked the same, only a little thinner, but she looked older, sadder. _

"_Bella." Edward whispered. _

_Bella let out a small laugh of elation at hearing him say her name. The life was coming back to her face; the sadness dulling. "Edward." _

"_Oh my God." Edward said disbelieving; he took his hands off of Bella's face and pulled her into his arms. Bella wrapped her arms around Edward's waist and held on tightly. Edward held on as well, and took comfort in the fact that he was holding Bella in his arms, and there was no one trying to pull her away from him time. He wouldn't let that happen again. No one can take her away from him. "Oh my God, I missed you so much, Bella. You have no idea." _

"_I think I do, Edward. I think I do." _

_Edward pulled away to look at her again. He moved his hands back to her face. She smiled at him, and he felt a tear fall down his cheeks. And then before he could even think about what he was doing, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. It was a soft kiss, a small peck to Bella's lips that surprised her. She gasped a little, not expecting it. But when he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers, she leaned forward and kissed him this time. Another soft kiss, but Bella couldn't resist. That kiss seemed to ignite something in the two of them as they both went in for the next one. This kiss more forceful, more passionate. This was their first kiss ever, but it was like they have been doing it their whole life. Like this is what they are supposed to do. It was easy, it was meant to be. _

_They both finally pulled away, their foreheads connected, trying to catch their breath from their kiss. Edward could think of endless amounts of questions he wanted to ask Bella at that moment, but he decided not to. Sure he wanted to know how Bella was here, but it really didn't matter how, just as long as she was. And she was, and he couldn't have been happier. _

"_I love you, Edward."_

_Edward smiled and kissed her lips one more time. "I love you too, Bella. So much." They have said the words to each other before. But this time it was different, and they both knew it. They didn't have to speak the words to explain what was going on in their hearts. They both just knew. _

_~End Flashback~_

That was 10 years ago to this day. Bella and I were together for the rest of high school. I went to college, but Bella didn't, she was still drinking at the time. But we got married when were both 20 under that same tree we shared our first kiss. And every year since then, we would have a picnic under that tree, and stay until the sunset.

Me and Bella walked hand in hand to our tree. She had her head resting on my arm as we walked, and it all just felt so peaceful. I set up the blanket and Bella started getting out our food. We ate our food, feeding it to each other occasionally. We talked and laughed and I haven't been this happy in a while. I had _my_ Bella sitting with me, and we were acting like our old selves. Bella sat in between my legs with her back to my chest as we waited for the sunset. Bella held my right hand, and my left ran through her hair.

"I can't believe it has been seven years already." Bella said softly.

"I know, it seems like we have known each other our whole lives."

She laughed. "We practically have you dufus." She said teasingly. Sure she just called me a name, but she was teasing, she was being playful. _My_ Bella was being playful with me, not the artificial one.

I brought my hand down from her hair and tickled her side. "I don't appreciate being called a dufus, love."

"Well that is just too bad, isn't it?" She said with a smile. She was joking again, like we used to when we were young. She was always the bossy one when we were little. Now that I think back on it, I was pretty whipped, even at an age as young as five years old.

"If you say so, beautiful." I rested my chin on her shoulder. She turned her head and kissed my temple.

"You know I am kidding, you are not a dufus, but even if you were, I would still love you the same."

I smiled and turned my head to kiss her cheek. "That is good to know." We were silent again as we watched the sunset.

"Hey, Edward?"

"Yes, love?"

"Thank you for today, it was really nice to get some alone time. I know we live together, but I feel like I never see you anymore." I nodded my head, because it was true. I have been working really late for a while now, so the only times I get to see Bella and Liam is on the weekends, and a couple of hours after work.

"I know, Bella. I'm sorry, but I have to work you know."

"Yeah, I know that. Your work makes you happy."

"You make me happy Bella, yes I like my job, but it would mean nothing without you and Liam." She nodded her head.

"I am glad I can make you happy then."

"You give me more than happiness, Bella. You give me a reason to live. You gave me Liam. I am sorry if me being at work all the time makes you feel like I am choosing work over you, but that is just not true."

"I know, I know that. You make me happy too." And I believed her. I know I made her happy, Liam made her happy. But now there was one thing coming in the way of that, and that was her drinking. It wasn't her fault though, that is what the worst part is. Bella had her first drink before she even understood what it really was. She was still a young, naïve child who had her Mom pretty much pressure into drinking. But after a while, it was out of her control. Alcoholism is an addiction, a chemical imbalance in a person's mind, as much as she knows drinking is bad for her, and how it has been affecting our family, she is unable to control it. I know there is a way for her to get sober, I know that, but I also know that nothing is going to happen unless she does it herself. You can't help those who don't want to be helped. And Bella doesn't want to be helped right now, because she doesn't think she needs it. So I am going to give her time, and I will try to guide her so she will end up in that state of mind.

But I am afraid of what is going to happen when she learns she has to testify against her own mother.

* * *

**So there goes Renee messing everything up again. Or is she? So not too much happens in this chapter, but it is very important. Well I hope you liked it!**

**Review Please!**


	13. Chapter 12: Fight

_**Chapter 12: Fight  
September 4, 2006**_

EPOV

I poured myself a cup of coffee while yawning loudly. It was 5:30 in the morning, and I was up with Liam. Today was his first day of kindergarten, and he was beyond excited. He has been talking about going to school for months now, and the day has finally come. But his excitement and nervousness had him crawling into mine and Bella's bed at 5 o'clock in the morning. Bella was upstairs showering while I was already downstairs with Liam. He looked adorable already in his first day of school outfit. He already had his Spider Man backpack on, and he was sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal.

I sat down across from him on the kitchen table. "So are you ready for your first day of school, bud."

He took a bite of his Cheerios, and looked up at me and smiled. "Yup! I can't wait. Do you think I will make friends? Do you think my teacher will be nice? Or will they be mean? Do I get a nap time? Can I color or even paint?" His voice became more excited and animated after each question.

I chuckled. "Slow down kid, how am I supposed to answer all those questions at once?"

He laughed and then started to drink his milk out of the bowl. He put the bowl down, and licked his top lip. "Well you are really smart, Daddy, so you should be able too!" I laughed and leaned over to kiss his forehead. I got up from the chair, and brought his bowl to the sink to clean it. "Hey, Dad?"

I turned from the sink to look at him. "Yes, son?"

"Is Mommy sick?" I dropped the bowl in the sink at his words. I was dreading the day Liam noticed that Bella was different. I dreaded it more than anything else in this world. I wiped my wet hands on a cloth and walked up to Liam. I squatted in front of him. He shifted on his chair so he was facing me, his eyes concerned and curious.

"Why do you ask that, buddy?"

"Well just because I heard her throwing up these past couple of night times."

I sighed out loudly. So he just thinks Bella has a stomach bug or something, he hasn't really noticed the difference between the real Bella, and the Bella filled with alcohol. "Oh, um…yeah she has been having a tummy ache." I felt horrible for lying to him. But technically I wasn't lying; he was too young for me to tell him that his mother was an alcoholic.

"Did you rub her back like she does for me when I am sick?" I seriously love this kid so much; I could not live without him. It warmed my heart that he was so caring toward Bella. He loved her and only saw the good in her. I was scared for the actual day he figures out the bad.

"Yes I did."

"Okay good, if you ever need a break you can wake me up, okay?" I chuckled because me and Bella always said that when Liam was sick. If Bella was in with him for a long time, I would come in and give her a break.

I smiled and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I will keep that in mind, little guy." I got up and went back to the sink to finish cleaning the bowl. Liam sat humming at the table and playing with the straps of his back pack. Soon Bella came down the stairs, smiling and ready for the day. It was morning time, so _my_ Bella was here, so I would use this time wisely.

"Mommy!" Liam said and I could hear his little feet running toward her.

"Hey, baby. Are you ready for school?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes!" He started jumping up and down, and I started drying my hands. Bella grabbed his hands and started lightly jumping with him. They both laughed and jumped in excitement; I just sat back, and watched the happiness flowing through my family at the moment. They both stopped jumping after a while, and then Bella pulled Liam to her chest and kissed the top of his head.

"Okay so are you guys ready to go?" I asked.

"Yup!" Liam let go of Bella and ran to the front door. Bella stood in her spot looking after him with a sad expression on her face now. I knew how she was feeling. Today was our little boy's first day of school, he was growing up; way to fast if you ask me. I walked up to Bella and wrapped my arms around her from behind. I rested my head on her shoulder, and she wrapped her arms across mine.

"I love you." She said softly.

I turned my head to kiss her neck. "I love you, too. You okay, love?"

"Yeah, I just don't want him to grow up anymore."

I chuckled. "Yeah I know, but there is nothing we can do about that unfortunately."

"Well we are his parents, we should be able to."

I laughed and let go of her. "Sorry, beautiful, we can't." I grabbed her hand, and guided her outside. Liam was already in the car in his booster seat with his seat belt on. I got in the driver's seat, and Bella sat in the passenger seat. Liam talked the whole way to the school. He talked about what he couldn't wait to do in school, how many friends he was going to make, how he can't wait for lunch time, and just kept going on and on about his first day of school and it hasn't even started yet. We got to the school in about 10 minutes, and Bella and I walked with him to his classroom. I put my hand out to open the door.

"No!" Liam said loudly. I took my hand away and looked down at him. He looked so nervous. "I don't want to go to school anymore, Daddy."

I looked over at Bella, and she gave me a knowing look. She squatted down in front of Liam, and took both of his hands in hers. "Liam, look at Mommy." He looked at her and she gave him a reassuring smile. "Why don't you want to go to school?"

"Cause I don't know them. I don't want to be alone. And I am going to miss you Mommy. I am going to miss you and Daddy." I could tell Bella wanted to cry, but she held it together for Liam.

"First of all, you will not be alone, baby. Just go to new people and introduce yourself. You will make friends fast because you are such a special little boy." She lifted her hand and put it on Liam's cheek, rubbing his face with her thumb. "And I know you are going to miss us, because we are going to miss you too, but you will see us later on." Liam seemed to relax, and he gave Bella a smile. "Plus, today is going to be so much fun; I bet you won't even remember to miss us."

Liam nodded. "Okay, if you say so, Mommy. You can open the door now, Daddy?" I smiled at Liam, and then at Bella. I opened the door and there were little kids everywhere. We walked in, me and Bella each holding one of Liam's hands, and walked over to where the teacher was. She saw us walking toward her, and met us half way, smiling from ear to ear. She seemed nice, and that was a good thing because if she was a grumpy teacher, I would switch Liam's class.

"Hello!" She said, sort of sounding like Mrs. Doubtfire, I had to stifle my laugh. She put her hand out to Bella. "My name is Mrs. White."

Bella shook her hand with a smile. "Hi, I am Bella Cullen, and this is my husband, Edward and my son…"

"No, no, Mommy, I got this." Liam said. He stepped in between Bella and Mrs. White, and held his hand out to her. "Hello Mrs. White. My name is Liam Edward Cullen, and I am happy for school." Mrs. White shook his hand, and smiled fondly at Liam. I could already tell she loved him; my kid is a charmer, what can I say?

"Well hello Liam Edward Cullen. It is so nice to meet you."

Liam smiled at her, and then turned to me and Bella. "Okay, I am good now. You both will come and pick me up right?"

"Well your Mom is; I have an important meeting at work." I told him. I would love to be able to pick him up on his first day of school. It would be so nice to see him walking out with his backpack on, running towards me all smiles. I would love the ride home where he went on and on about the events of the day. But unfortunately, work has to get in the way of that. We have a big meeting at 2:30 that Mitchell says if I do well on, I could possibly be promoted again. This position will mean less working time and more money. So I need to be there.

"Oh alright, well bye, Daddy." He stood on his tip toes and puckered his lips to me. I bent down and kissed my boy goodbye. "Love you, Daddy."

I smiled. Do I really have to leave? "I love you too, son." He turned to Bella and told her the same. Bella held him tight in a hug for a while though, and wouldn't let go. "Come on, love." I said. She held on tighter for a second, and finally let go.

"I love you too, honey." She said to Liam. Liam smiled, and Mrs. White took his hand and walked him over to where the other children were. I grabbed Bella's hand and brought her outside the class room. I was walking ahead of her, but I had her hand still in mine. I stopped though and turned to her when I heard a sniffle. I saw she had tears falling down her cheeks and my heart broke into a million pieces. Those tears still hurt my heart after all these years. I pulled her to my chest as she cried. "I can't believe he is going to school, Edward."

"I know, love."

"I am going to miss him so much."

"I know, but it will get better. I promise." I was just as sad as she was. Liam going to school was just a reminder of how fast he is growing up. Each passing day is a day closer to when he won't need us as much anymore. It's a sucky feeling.

* * *

"You can do this."

"I can do this."

"You will not choke."

"I will not choke."

"You will make them love you."

"They are going to love me."

"You are going to spit on all of their faces."

"I am going to spit….hey!" Karen started cracking up when she realized she got me. She came in my office to pump me up for the big meeting that was just in a half an hour. She always came in before my big meetings to get me on my feet. It usually worked, until she attempts to brainwash me to spit all over my colleagues. I have been reviewing everything since I got to work this morning. I only stopped for lunch, and to call Liam's school two times to check up on him. Maybe I wasn't supposed to do that, but I don't really give a fuck. I wanted to know if my son was happy.

"You will do fine, Edward." Karen said while still laughing.

"I hope so." My phone started ringing, so I walked back behind my desk and picked it up.

"Edward Cullen." I answered.

And then I heard a giggle. _Fuck_. "Hellloooo, Edward Cullen. This is your wife, B-Bella Cullen." She started giggling again.

"Bella are you drunk?"

"Maybe a little bit." She said innocently. But she wasn't innocent at all.

"What do you mean a little bit? You told me you weren't going to drink today, Bella. I left you the car so you could pick up Liam from school."

"I am going to pick up Liam! Jesus Edward, don't get your panties out of a bunch."She started giggling again, and I got really fucking pissed off.

"You are not going to pick up Liam, Bella." I pinched the bridge of my nose. She can't go pick up Liam in that state. We already talked about this, she was not going to drink today since this was considered an important day, like a holiday. But I should have known that leaving her home alone while missing Liam would mean she would be more tempted to drink.

"Yes I am, Edward! I was just about to leave now."

"Bella stay in the house." Now what was I going to do? Bella can't pick up Liam, and everyone else was at work right now. So that means I have to go. That means I will miss this meeting, and ultimately my promotion.

"No Edward I…"

"Stay in the fucking house, Bella!" I yelled. I was furious.

"Why are you yelling, Edward?"

"Probably because my wife decided to be selfish today and drink her fucking sanity away when she had other responsibilities. I was supposed to get that promotion today, Bella. Now I need to go pick up our son because you decided to go drink."

"Edward I…"

"I really don't feel like talking to you right now, Bella. Just stay in the house, and don't you dare think about getting in the fucking car."

"But Edward…" And then I did something I have never done before. I hung up on her.

I looked at the clock, and saw that it was 2:07. Liam got out of school at 2:25, and my meeting was at 2:30. "Karen!" I yelled since she would be able to hear me; her desk was right outside my door. I heard her walk toward my door, and open it.

"Yes, Edward."

"Can you call Mitchell and ask him if we could push the meeting back?"

"Sure." She said. She could tell I was livid, and I knew she didn't want to say something to make me mad. I started shutting everything down, and getting my stuff together. I was so angry at Bella. That meeting was supposed to be my big break. Karen came back in. "Edward, he said there is no way he can do that, the clients are coming in now."

"Karen, can you please go in there," I got all my materials from my desk. I gave them to Karen. "Give these to Rick. He knows what to do, and just tell Mitchell I am sorry."

"But Edward…your promotion." She said.

"Bella is drunk, and can't go pick up Liam. So I have to go."

"I could go pick him up for you, Edward." She offered and I almost took her up on that offer. I guess if it was any other day, I would have said yes, and thanked her a million times. But this was Liam's first day of school, and he was already expecting Bella to pick him up. He will already be disappointed that she will not be there, so I didn't want to disappoint him more if neither of us went. Even though I wanted this promotion; Liam and his happiness comes first.

"No I need to go, thank you though. Just bring that to Rick please." She nodded her head, and we both headed out the door. She headed in the direction where my future _should_ have gone. And I went in the direction of where my future is going.

* * *

I stood outside my car waiting for Liam. I was still really pissed, but I tried to hold it together so I could share the excitement with Liam that I knew he would have on his first day. I heard the bell ring, and waited until kids started walking out of the school with their teachers. I waited until I saw Liam's teacher. Liam was in the line behind her, talking to another little boy. I knew he would make friends. He looked up and noticed me, and first he looked confused, but then a big smile formed on his face and my anger disintegrated for the time being.

Mrs. White saw me too, and then told Liam he could go to me. I waved at her and she waved back before getting back to the other kids and sorting them out to their parents. I looked at Liam running toward me with a smile from ear to ear with his backpack on his back.

"Daddy!" He said excitedly as he made his way toward me. I scooped him in my arms as soon as he was in reaching distance, and we hugged each other.

"Hey buddy, how was your first day?" I asked when he pulled away.

"It was so much fun, Daddy! The best day of my life!" I smiled and kissed his cheek. I opened the car door and he climbed in the back. I was buckling him when he spoke again. "Where is Mommy?" He asked sadly. He was just so excited, and now he looked disappointed, and it was because of Bella. The anger was building inside of me again, and I controlled myself again.

"Well you know how we talked about her being sick this morning?" He nodded his head. "Well she isn't feeling too well so I came to pick you up."

"Oh no, can we go home and make her some soup?"

I sighed. "No buddy, she is going to stay home and rest while we go out for a little while."

"But I want to see Mommy, Daddy." He whined, getting more upset. "I want to make her feel better." If only it were that simple.

"You will see her before you go to bed, alright?" He still looked sad, but nodded his head and looked away from me. Great, so now he was mad at me. I sighed, and then got in the driver's seat of the car. This was not what I was imagining when I would have picked up Liam from school. I didn't even get to hear his stories about his day on the ride home like I wanted to, because he was sad in the backseat. "Liam, I don't want you to be mad at me."

I sighed. "I'm not mad at you, Daddy. I just really missed Mommy today."

Of course he would miss Bella. He has spent four years of his life with her, spending everyday of his life with Bella. He has been around Bella more than he has me. I knew my son loved me, but it was obvious why he would feel closer to Bella. She was his mother. "You Mom misses you too, bud. She is just not feeling good, and she doesn't want you to catch her bug." The part about Bella missing him was the truth, because I knew _my _Bella missed him, but I can honestly say I don't give a fuck what drunk Bella feels right now. "So what do you say about going for ice cream?"

"Really?" He asked, excitement back on his face, and the sight made me feel better.

"Yeah, and then I was thinking we could go to the park."

"Really?" He asked with even more excitement.

I chuckled. "Yes, and then how about you go to Uncle Emmett's house for a little while and play with Emma and Nick?"

"Are you coming too?"

"No, but I will be back to pick you up before bedtime."

"Okay then."

"So tell me about your first day." So he did, and kept me grounded for a little while. I brought him out for ice cream, we went to the park, and then I stayed with him at Rose and Emmett's house for a little while, and got to hang out with my nieces and nephew also. But I left around six. I needed to go home and talk to Bella. I need to let her know that what happened today was not acceptable. This means a fight. We made a vow to each other as parents to never fight in front of our children. We know how that affects a child. Bella especially…

_~Flashback~_

_**7 Years Old**_

"_Come on, Bella. I want to go play outside. This is stupid." Edward whined. He was lying down on Bella's bed with his hands behind his head, waiting for Bella to be finished. _

"_It is not stupid, Edward." Bella said as she continued coloring in the heart she made with her purple crayon._

"_Yes it is; Mrs. Pratt is mean." _

"_No she isn't, Edward." _

_Edward sat up on the bed. "Are you kidding me, Bella? She made us read two books in one day. Two!" _

"_That is what you are supposed to do in school." Bella now picked up her pencil, and started to draw a flower. _

"_But still." Edward knew that Bella was right, so he just lied down back on the bed, hands behind his head. _

"_Mrs. Pratt was absent three days, Edward. She must be really sick." _

"_But you don't have to make her a get well card." _

"_But it might make her feel better." Bella said and she drew the stem on her flower. She was using a white lined piece of paper that had a coffee ring stain on it. It was the only paper she could find earlier in the day. She put it on the coffee table, and Renee decided to use it as a coaster. Bella got sad when she saw the coffee ring on the paper she was going to use for the card. She asked Renee if she would go buy some more paper, but Renee flat out said no. Bella made due with the paper though. She had her three broken crayons; purple, brown, and orange. And she had a pencil. Phil threw her other crayons out. She colored the flower in with orange. Once she finished with that, she went to write 'Get Well Soon'. "Hey, Edward?" _

"_Yeah?" _

"_Can you help me spell 'Get Well Soon'." Edward sighed, still frustrated that they weren't going outside, but he got up from the bed and helped Bella spell the three simple words. She wrote the words with a lot of concentration, and when they were written, the card was done. She held it out to Edward. _

"_So what do you think?" She asked with a smile. Edward looked at the card. The paper was a little crinkled, the coffee stain was showing, there wasn't that much color, but Edward told Bella what he thought. _

"_It looks good, Bella. I have never seen a brown flower before though." _

_Bella shrugged. "I know, but I just don't have any more crayons." _

"_Why not?" _

"_Phil threw them in the trash when I didn't do the dishes after dinner." She looked down and played with her fingers. _

"_Bell-"_

"_YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Bella and Edward both jumped when they heard the sound of Renee screaming at the top of her lungs. Bella gasped and went to the door to open it, but Edward grabbed her arm. _

"_No, Bella." He said, Bella had tears in her eyes; fear. _

"_Oh shut up you stupid bitch! It's not my fault!" Phil screamed. They could hear footsteps running down the steps loudly. Bella started crying harder, and Edward hugged her close to him. _

"_It's not your fault? Really? So you just went to that bitch's house and accidently fucked her?" _

"_I mean it is not my fault that you have a kid, and we can't even fool around when we want to." _

"_Bella is insignificant, Phil! You know we can do it whenever we want!" _

"_Well I am sorry I don't want a kid walking in while we are having sex!" Edward heard that word before, but he didn't know what it meant. "And don't act like you haven't been fooling around behind my back you bitch!" _

"_Get your hands off me!" Renee screamed. At those words, Bella let go of Edward, and pulled the door open. Edward ran after her. _

"_Bella!" He whisper yelled. "Don't go over there Bella." Bella didn't listen though and she ran to the living room where the fight was taking place. Edward was close behind her. Phil had his hands on Renee's arms, in her face with an angry expression on his face. Renee was struggling to get out of his hold. Bella ran right at Phil and started punching him with her little fists. _

"_Leave my Mommy alone!" She cried, tears were pouring down her face. Edward stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do._

"_Shut up, Bella!" Renee yelled at Bella, but Bella kept on punching and yelling. _

"_Let her go, let her go, let her go!" Phil looked down at Bella, anger still on his face. He let go of Renee, and she stumbled back a little bit. _

"_See what I mean about the kid?" Phil said, and then he walked toward the door. _

"_No Phil! No don't go!" Renee said and ran after him. Phil went in his car, but Renee still went after him, she pounded on his window, but he just drove away. Renee was screaming in anger and walked back in the house. She walked back in the living room, and went right in Bella's face. "Look what you did! You made him mad!" _

_Her face was so close to Bella's, Bella could smell her horrible breath, and she even spit a little and it landed on Bella's face. Bella brought her hands to her face. "But he was hurting you, Mommy." Bella said with a small voice. _

"_I don't care! I am a grown woman, I don't need your annoying ass to come down here and fight my battles. Do you hear me?"_

"_Yes, Mommy." _

_Renee got out of her face. "Good. Now get the fuck out of my face, and out of this house. And bring your stupid friend with you." _

"_Okay." Bella said, and walked past Renee. Edward took Bella's hand and they walked outside together. Bella was shaking and crying as they walked, and Edward brought her to the back of his house. Once they were behind it, Edward wrapped his arms around her as she cried. "I just don't like it when they fight, Edward." She said through her tears. _

"_I know, Bella." _

"_I was only trying to h-help!" _

"_I know."_

"_Why doesn't she like me, Edward?" _

"_I don't know, Bella." Bella continued to cry and Edward continued to hold her. "I like you, Bella. I love you."_

"_I think you are the only one." _

_~End Flashback~ _

I put the car in park in the driveway. My Volvo was already there. I usually keep the car in the garage, and I barely use it, but I took it out today and gave Bella the keys so she could have a car to pick up Liam. Looking at it now, unused, made me remember again why I am here alone. I walked to the front door and opened it. I heard footsteps running toward me, and Bella appeared from the living room. She was so obviously drunk, and she had a fake smile on her face. But it soon went away.

"Where is Liam?" She asked.

"He is not here." I said, and walked past her to the kitchen.

"What? Where is he?" She asked, following me into the kitchen. I went to the fridge and got out a bottle of water.

"At Rosalie and Emmett's." I took the cap off the water and took a sip.

"What is he doing there? I wanted to talk to him about his day!"

"Well you should have thought of that when you opened that bottle, Bella." I yelled.

"Edward I don't know why you keep yelling at me!"

"You want to know why I am yelling at you, Bella. I will tell you why." I took another sip of my water, and put it on the counter. "I am yelling because I have been nothing but supportive of you Bella. I go to work, I bring money home to put a roof over your head, to put a roof over our son's head, and to feed all of us. I do a lot of shit for you Bella."

"I know you do, Edward." She was still calm; _my_ Bella wouldn't be calm right now. She would yell right back at me. I wanted that right now. I want her to yell at me; because that is the way I know that _my _Bella was here.

"And I know you do a lot too, Bella. You are staying home, and raising our son. And you are doing a damn good job at it, but there is one flaw that irks me every single day of my life." She didn't say anything because even drunk Bella knew what I was talking about. "You need to stop drinking, Bella."

"Edward I am not that bad I…"

"You are an alcoholic, Bella." I took a step toward her, she stepped back. I need to get this through her head.

"No I am not, Edward."

"You are Bella." I stepped forward, she stepped back. _You have to do this, Edward._

"No I am not! Stop saying that, please." She was backing away from me at every step I took toward her. She had her hands over her ears, tears falling, shaking her head. The sight of her right now, backing away from me in fear that shouldn't be there had me almost to my knees, begging someone to take the pain away in my chest. But I had to stay strong.

"You are an alcoholic."

"Stop! Please!"

"You are an alcoholic, Bella. You need to realize this, Bella."

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" She was shaking now.

"Bella…"

"NO!" She screamed. "I am not like her. You are telling me I am like her. I am not like her, Edward. I love Liam. I love him. I am nice to him. Please don't tell me I am like her. I love my son. I love my son. He is my whole life." She was against the wall now, she slid down it until she was on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest, and rocking.

I knew in my head, that giving into her right now was not the right thing to do to anyone on the outside. I knew that. But my heart won out once again. She just looked so broken there on the floor shaking and crying, and it was because of me. I sat down next to her, and pulled her to my chest. "Shh, Bella. Please love, calm down."

She took deep breaths. "I love Liam. I love him. I love you. I am not her."

"I know you aren't, beautiful. You aren't like her, Bella. Please stop crying, my love." And she wasn't her. The only thing Bella has in common with her mother is the alcoholism, which is genetic according to some studies. Other than the alcoholism, Bella was the total opposite of her mother. Renee was a heartless woman, whereas Bella absolutely was not. I planned on trying to force Bella to stop drinking tonight, but how could I do it like this? With her thinking I was comparing her to her mother? No. I couldn't do it like this. I love her too much to let that happen. The last thing I want is for her to resent me in the end. I will have to find her professional help; maybe a counselor or something. Yeah, a counselor would be good, and maybe they can also help mentally prepare her for testifying in a couple of months.

I just really need to work to find her help.

* * *

**And that is that. I know people are really starting to get pissed with Bella right about now in the story, but that is natural. Just stick with me guys because I have a lot of good stuff planned in the future that I am sure a lot of you will like :] **

**I posted pictures of Edward and Bella on my profile, and pictures of Liam and Peyton will be coming soon. It has just been hard for me to put pictures out since Liam is growing and aging so much in every chapter, but they will be coming soon, and I will let you know when they are posted. **

**Go read "The Beauty of His Eyes" by AlexaET, because it is awesome. **

**Thanks for reading, and please review, I know you have a lot to say :]**


	14. Chapter 13: Dance

_**Chapter 13: Dance  
December 14, 2006**_

EPOV

"Oh my goodness, Daddy. Do you want to hear a funny story?" Liam asked over the phone.

I smiled at his excitement. "I would love to hear your funny story."

"Well I was on the bus with my friend Chip, like potato chips you know?" I laughed, and he continued. "Well we were on the bus, waiting to leave and our bus driver, Dave, farted!" He was cracking up laughing now, almost unable to form another sentence. "He farted so loud, Daddy. And it smelt so bad."

I found this amusing just because he did. Now, as an adult, I thought it was actually quite disgusting, but I was once a little boy, and for some reason, farts are pretty fucking funny to the young male. "That is gross, buddy." I said while chuckling.

"I know, but so funny!" I laughed as I turned the car into the parking lot of the office I was going to. "When will you be home, Daddy. Me and Mommy miss you."

"I will be home in a couple of hours, Liam. Do you have any special requests for dinner?" Today was Thursday, and I usually bought some take out for us on Thursdays. I don't even know why I asked, because I already knew what he was going to say.

"Pizza!" I laughed as I pulled into a parking spot.

"Alright, pizza it is. Where is your Mom?" I turned the engine off, and started to get out of the car.

"She said she was thirsty so she went to the kitchen." Yeah…thirsty. It was about four in the afternoon now, and was the normal time for Bella to start drinking. Ever since Liam's first day of school, she stopped drinking when he was in school, but I arranged for the bus to drop him off after school just in case.

"Okay, well I have to go, but I will be home soon. Love you, bud."

"Love you too, Daddy!" We hung up, and I walked to the front door of the therapist's office. Her name written on the front door; _Dr. Julia Freeman_. It took me months to find a therapist that I thought would be good for Bella, and would have the potential to possibly help her. I heard a lot about Dr. Freeman, and she specialized with helping addiction patients. She had the most successful cases in the area, and I arranged a meeting with her just to hear what she has to say, and go with my gut in finding out if she would be able to help.

I walked up to the front desk, where an older woman was sitting, typing away on her computer. She looked up to me and smiled. "Hello, are you here for an appointment?"

"Well more like a meeting, my name is Edward Cullen."

"Ah yes, Mr. Cullen. She said to just send you right in." I nodded my head and thanked her before walking to the door with Dr. Freeman's name on it. I knocked, and heard her say come in. I opened the door, and it looked like my office. It was smaller than mine, but it was simple. A desk, chairs, and a couch. Dr. Freeman was standing behind her desk, and giving me a warm smile. She was younger than I expected; maybe mid thirties. She had blonde hair pulled into a sophisticated bun; dark rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She stepped around her desk and held her hand out to me.

"Hello, you must be Mr. Cullen." I nodded my head and shook her hand.

"Uh…yeah that's me. It is nice to meet you Dr. Freeman."

"Oh you can call me Julia. All of my patients call me that, it puts me on their level a little." I nodded my head again, because I was really fucking nervous. I wanted so badly for Bella to get better, and I think the best way to do that is by therapy.

"Well then call me Edward." I replied.

She smiled. "Okay Edward, why don't you follow me. I don't do my sessions in here." I nodded my head, and she led me through the door on the far left wall of her office. On the other side of the door was more like a therapist's room. It was actually very nice. One whole wall was just a big window, really. On the other side of the window were bushes and flowers, it really was beautiful. The room looked like a living room without a TV. Warm reds, browns, and beige colors all around me. It was very nice.

"This is really nice." I said.

She smiled. "Thank you, I was going for the comfortable feel."

"It works."

"Okay so why don't we talk." She sat down on what I assumed was her chair. I walked to the couch that was in front of her. "So we only talked briefly on the phone, but you aren't here to schedule appointments for yourself, is that right?"

I wiped my sweating hands on my pants. I don't know why I was nervous, but I was. "Yeah, I am here for my wife. My wife Bella."

"Bella. Okay, well why do you think Bella needs to see a therapist such as myself?"

I cleared my throat. I really fucking hated saying this shit out loud. "She is an alcoholic."

She nodded her head in understanding. "So what happened to make you finally look into therapy?"

"Um, she won't go into rehab, and I…um…I can't help her."

"Why is that, do you think?" She asked; sounding like what I said surprised her somehow.

My voice cracked as I said the words. I don't know why I was getting so emotional. I wasn't even here for an appointment. I wasn't the one who needed help right now. "Because I love her."

"Oh Edward, I didn't mean to make this into a therapy session for you, I was just curious as to what I will be working with so I could let you know how I am going to go about this."

"I know." I took a deep breath to get my emotions under control. "I'm sorry; it has just been really hard."

She nodded her head in understanding. "I know it is, Edward. Addiction doesn't only affect the person addicted, but it often hurts the ones closest to them." I only nodded my head, sure it was hard on me, but I would be better when she was. "And I understand you have a son also?"

"Yes, Liam. He is 4."

"And does he know what is going on? With his mother, I mean."

"Uh…no. I mean he noticed her getting sick at night, but I just told her she had a stomach ache. He doesn't really understand that she is addicted to alcohol or anything."

She nodded her head again. "I am more than willing to take Bella as my patient, Edward. I think you should know that I myself was an alcoholic."

My head shot up to hers. "You were?"

"Yup. It is a horrible, horrible thing for anyone to go through. But I think you should also know that my father was an alcoholic also, so I know what it is like watching someone you love slowly killing themselves." I had to look away from her at her last words, it all became too real. I know alcohol could end up killing Bella, but I just can't let that happen. "I know how frustrating it is to just want to yell at them to stop. It seems simple to everyone else. If they want their life back, all they have to do is stop drinking. That is how I thought once, until it was me on the other side of it. It is not that simple, I can tell you that right now. Me getting sober was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life."

"I can only imagine."

"No offense, Edward, but you can't. You can't imagine. Alcoholism is more than just physically picking up a drink and consuming it. It is also in your head and your whole body. It takes over you, and no matter how much an alcoholic knows they shouldn't be doing it, or how much they see it is hurting those around them, they are defenseless. The only time they are able to finally take charge of it is when they want to get help."

"But how do I do that? How do I get her to want to get help?" I asked desperately. Everything she said made sense, but it wasn't doing much to ease my mind.

"You are doing it right now. By her coming to see me, I will guide her to that state of mind. She will probably just need some time to sort through everything in her head." I nodded my head. She leaned forward on her chair. "Do you remember earlier when you told me you wouldn't be able to help Bella because you love her?" I nodded my head. "Again, I don't want to make this seem like a therapy session for you, but what makes you think you can't help her?"

I didn't even have to think about it. "Whenever I try to be tough with her, or do something that I know in my head is what will help her, I always end up giving into her. I always want to give her everything she wants and then when she starts crying I…" I had to stop because my voice was cracking and I was going to start crying like a baby.

"It's okay, Edward. I get what you are saying. But I want to let you know, that if you decide that you want to try and get Bella to come see me, I would also like to maybe have a couple of sessions with you."

"You don't need to waste your time on me; she is what matters right now."

"You may think that now, but in time I think you will figure out that you may also need some help."

* * *

"Hey Daddy, look at me!" I was getting a face cloth and towel from the cabinet near the bathtub for Liam when he was done. I looked up at him, and he splashed me in the face. He started laughing loudly, and I laughed with him while wiping the water out of my eyes.

"You little punk!" I said while laughing. I picked up the cup in the tub, filled it with water, and poured it over his head. He started laughing some more and wiped the water from his eyes as well.

"I only splashed you a little bit Daddy!"

"But I am dry….well I was dry." He laughed some more, and then yawned loudly. "You tired buddy?"

"Yeah, kindergarten is a lot of work."

I laughed, and squeezed some shampoo in my hands. "Well what did you do today? Didn't you take a nap?" I brought the shampoo to his brown hair, and started cleaning it.

"I was laying down, but I couldn't fall asleep!" He yawned again as I was massaging the shampoo in his hair. "I sleep better when Mommy rubs my back."

I smiled and got the cup filled again. He immediately put his head back so I could rinse the shampoo out of his hair. "Yeah, your Mom is pretty special, huh?"

"The bestest Mommy ever." I finished rinsing his hair and smiled, happy that Liam saw in Bella what I saw, and what the people who really knew her saw. He didn't see her as an alcoholic, but it seems like that is all other people do see. They don't understand what Bella had to go through to get to this point in her life. Sure she has her problems, alcoholism being the biggest one, but she is also a good person and a good mother. I don't think anyone can fault her for that.

* * *

I stepped out of the bathroom after I showered, got my pajama's on, and brushed my teeth; I was so ready for bed. I walked to Liam's cracked open door, and saw him already sleeping with his hands behind his head. I smiled and walked down the hall to mine and Bella's room. I could hear soft music coming from our room. That's weird. The door was open, and I walked in to see Bella swaying in the corner of the room. She was swaying her hips with her hands in the air twirling them around gracefully. Bella was a very clumsy person, but she could dance. She could dance way better than I could. I had no rhythm, and I dance like the fucking tin man.

I walked through the door, and Bella turned around and smiled at me. "Come dance with me, baby." She said with a smile. Usually I would say no to her because she is drunk, but I just couldn't today. This whole week, I have probably seen her a total of six hours. I have been working extra late since I was working back up to that promotion. Mitchell was disappointed in me that I didn't make it to that meeting, but he also understood it was a personal issue. So I have been working my ass off to get that opportunity again. Anyways, I have been working a lot lately, and I missed my wife. Plus, even _my_ Bella has been having a hard time since I had to tell her about the court date on Valentine's Day. She cried when she found out, and refused to believe it. We haven't seen Renee in three years, and Bella wanted to keep it that way. But now she had to see her, but she also had to do something that would make Renee even madder at her. I knew that day would be tough for her.

I smiled. "You know I can't dance, love." I put my dirty clothes in the hamper near the dresser.

"Oh you're not that bad, handsome. Come dance with me!" She said excitedly and grabbed my hands, bringing me to the part of the room that had the most room to dance. I wrapped my arms around her middle, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. We started moving around slowly, but I screwed it up when I stepped on her toe. Luckily we were both barefoot, so I didn't hurt her. We both started laughing. "Okay, I guess you are that bad." She said and I laughed.

"I told you!" I said laughing with her.

She kissed my lips, and I was reminded of the alcohol that was in her system by the smell of her breath, but I just pushed that back for now. I missed her, and I would take whatever I could right now. She rested her head on my shoulder, and I rested my cheek on the top of her hair, the both of us just kind of swaying from side to side, so I wouldn't cause anymore damage. Dancing wasn't that bad when I was with Bella. I learned that on our first dance…

_~Flashback~_

_**12 Years Old**_

"_How about your green shirt? That will look so good with your eyes!" Esme said to Edward as they were talking about the middle school dance that was just two nights away. _

"_I don't care; I'm a guy, Mom." Esme laughed and ruffled Edward's hair. _

"_But don't you want to look cute for Bella?" _

"_Ew Mom, Bella is not my date." Edward, Bella, Alice, and Emmett were all going to the dance together. It was only a 7__th__ grade dance and there wasn't really that many couples going. It was more like an end of the year dance for all grades in middle school. Alice walked in the room with her dance dress on, she has been wearing it on and off since she got it last week. 'She just loved it' was her reasoning. _

"_Alice honey, you are going to get that dirty!" _

_Alice twirled in the pink dress. "No I won't! I just love it!" _

"_Oh my God Alice, we get it!" Emmett yelled from the living room. Edward and Esme laughed, while Alice just huffed. The doorbell rang and Edward jumped from the table, knowing it was Bella. He opened the door, and Bella was on the other side smiling. _

"_Hi Edward!" She said as she walked in. _

"_Hey Bella! Come on, let's go in my room." _

"_Okay, just let me go say hi to everyone." Edward rolled his eyes, and Bella went around and said hi to Alice, Emmett, and Esme. She was walking to Edward at the stairs when Esme called her name, Bella ran back to the kitchen, and Edward followed. "Yeah?" She asked when they got in. _

"_Do you have your dress already?" Esme asked._

_Bella looked down at her hands. "Uh…no. I don't have to wear a dress right?" _

"_You have to wear a dress Bella! Everyone is going to be wearing a dress!" Alice said while still twirling in hers. _

"_Oh, well…um…I had some money, but one of my Mom's guy friends took it the other day so…" Bella didn't make eye contact with anyone. "But it is fine, it's not a big deal, I can just wear something else." _

_Esme looked at Bella sadly, and then her face turned determined. "No, we will go now. I will go buy you a dress, honey." _

_Bella looked up at Esme. "No, Esme really that is okay, I don't want you to spend any money on me." _

"_Oh that is nonsense honey, come on we can go now before dinner." _

"_Really?" Bella asked while looking up at Esme with hopeful eyes. _

"_Really! Come on we can all go!" _

_Bella ran to Esme and hugged her around the waist. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Esme! I promise I will do the dishes after dinner, I promise!" _

"_Oh you don't have to do that, honey." Esme said as she kissed the top of Bella's head. Edward never liked going shopping, but he was excited to see Bella excited, so he couldn't wait to go shopping._

* * *

_Edward and Emmett were playing a video game on the couch while Alice and Bella were running around and twirling in their dresses after dinner. Alice's pink and Bella's blue. Edward was playing the video game, but he would sometimes sneak a peek at Bella as she twirled in her dress. Bella wasn't picky with finding her new dress, but she told Esme that she really liked blue dresses, so that was what they bought. After dinner, Alice and Bella both changed in their dresses and were getting excited for the dance. _

"_Bella! It is almost 8:30, almost time for you to go home!" Esme called from the kitchen._

"_Okay!" She said and then ran upstairs to get changed again and Alice went with her. Bella came back down by herself wearing her sweatpants and t-shirt again with her dress in a bag. She went to say bye to Esme, and then came back in the living room to say bye to Emmett and Edward. Edward got up and walked with her to the door. "Don't you just love my dress?" She asked with a smile. _

"_Yeah, it looks pretty on you." Bella blushed and bit her lip. She wrapped her arms around Edward's neck. _

"_Thank you, I can't wait for this dance." She whispered in his ear. And now, neither could Edward. _

* * *

_**The Dance**_

"_Where is Bella? We need to go!" Alice whined as they were waiting for Bella in the living room. _

"_Can I go get her?" Edward asked Esme. _

"_Yes, go ahead, Edward." Esme said. Edward ran out the front door and ran over to Bella's house. His feet were feeling uncomfortable in his new black shiny shoes. He made it to the front door, and knocked rapidly. The door opened to reveal a really mad looking Renee. _

"_Bella!" She screamed. "Make this go away!" She screamed again, and walked away with a bottle of something in her hand. It took Bella a couple of seconds before she made it to the door. Edward gasped as Bella walked to the door. She had tear stains on her cheeks and she was sniffling as she walked to the door. But the most heartbreaking thing was the pieces of her blue dress that she had clutched in her hands. She had a needle and thread in her hand along with it, she was holding it with a shaking hand. _

"_Bella!" Edward whisper yelled. "What happened?" _

"_I am s-so s-s-stupid, Edward." She was trying to catch her breath between her cries and sniffles. "I forgot to clean the bathroom, I am so stupid." _

"_Bella…" Edward had a hard time speaking seeing Bella so torn up. "You are not stupid, what happened to your dress?" _

_She looked down at the dress. "I forgot to clean the bathroom." She said, as if that was a sound excuse. _

"_Your mother did this?" Edward asked. _

"_Yeah she used the scissors, but I am trying to sew it back together so your Mom can return it. I didn't mean to waste her money. But sewing is hard." _

"_Bella you don't have to worry about that." Edward said, tears coming to his eyes. He wanted to hurt Renee. _

"_Bella! GET RID OF IT!" Renee yelled from inside the house._

_Bella seemed to panic and she pushed Edward away from the door. "You have to go, Edward." _

"_But I don't want to go to the dance without you, Bella." Bella kissed Edward's cheek quickly. _

"_Just go and have fun, I am so sorry. Tell Esme I am sorry." _

"_But Bella…." _

"_Take pictures so I can see them. You look really handsome." Edward did not want to leave Bella at all, but he knew if he tried to stay, Renee would have gotten even madder at Bella. Edward walked up to Bella, and wrapped his arms around her; she didn't hug him back though because she still had her torn dress clutched to her chest. _

"_I love you, Bella. You are going to come over tonight, right?" She nodded her head against his chest. _

"_Have fun." She said as they pulled away. Edward thought to himself that that was impossible now. _

* * *

_Edward waited by his window for Bella. It was 10:30, and he was expecting her at any time. They all got back from the dance about an hour ago, but everyone else was already sleeping. Edward was right when he knew he wouldn't have fun at the dance. He didn't. He mostly just stood against the wall, watching everyone else dance and talk. Alice and Emmett tried talking to him a couple of times, but they had their own friends they wanted to go with. Edward's friend wasn't there. _

_Edward opened the window when he saw Bella climbing up the tree. He immediately pulled her in. He hugged her around the waist tightly, and this time she hugged him back while crying into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Bella." Edward said as he rubbed her back. "Did she hit you?" Bella nodded her head. "Where?" Bella pulled away and moved the collar of her shirt to show a bruise on her collar bone. Edward swept his fingers over the heated flesh before kissing it lightly. Bella tightened her grip around Edward's neck and they continued to hold each other. _

"_Did you have fun?" Bella asked as she pulled away. _

_Edward shook his head. "No." _

"_Well didn't you dance with anyone?" _

"_I danced with Tanya for one song, but it was boring." _

"_I really wanted to dance." Bella said._

"_Well then let's dance then." Edward said. _

"_But I thought you thought it was boring." _

"_I don't care. Come on." Edward held her around her waist and Bella put her arms back around his neck. "We don't need music, but I am very bad at it." _

_Bella laughed. "That's okay." They started moving slowly around the room while they slow danced. _

_Edward pulled away from Bella quickly. "And now fast dance!" He said loudly, but not loud enough to wake anyone in the house. Bella laughed as Edward started dancing, if you could call it dancing. He actually looked kind of weird, but Bella appreciated his effort in getting her in a better mood. She laughed and started dancing fast with Edward. After a while Edward stopped and then took Bella back in his arms to dance slow. "I suck at dancing." Edward said with a laugh. _

_Bella rested her head on her best friend's chest. "You were perfect. Thank you." _

_~End Flashback~_

I held on tighter to Bella thinking about that night. Renee always found a way to ruin things for Bella, and it was just not right. Then out of nowhere, Bella's legs collapsed under her, and I caught her before she hit the ground…she was sobbing. She was in the second stage right now, so the sudden mood change didn't exactly surprise me, but the reason for this sudden outburst of crying did concern me. I held her up and close to my chest.

"What is it, love? What's the matter?"

"I don't want to see her, Edward." She said, sounding so scared. "I don't want to see her."

I held her up, and brought her to the bed. I sat down on it, and held her in my lap. "I know you don't Bella, but you can do this, you are so strong. I will be right there with you."

"I know, but I'm scared." She clung tight to me, and I held her closer, I want her to feel some sort of security. I hate seeing her like this.

"I am going to be there, love. I am going to help you, don't worry about it okay?" She nodded her head, and started taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "I am going to help you."

Hopefully more than just helping her with the trial; I want to help her get her old self back completely.

* * *

**So here is the thing, I am going to be updating every Monday and Friday from now on, well that will be my goal, but real life happens sometimes, so yeah.**

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**I hope you liked this chapter! I always get nervous whenever I post a chapter on this story for some reason, so I hope you liked it! Please review just to ease my mind! These past 4 chapters have had exactly 16 reviews, so do you think you could change that? If you haven't reviewed, please do! Even one word reviews make me so so happy, it means a lot that people would take the time to just write a little something something. **

**Next chapter is the trial and more about therapy! **

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	15. Chapter 14: Panic

_**Chapter 14: Panic  
February 14, 2007**_

EPOV

I was startled out of my sleep when I felt something being snatched out of my arms. I lifted my head up, and opened and closed my eyes to gain some clear vision. It was still dark outside, but it was getting a little lighter. I looked over at the clock and saw it was 4:38 a.m. Still half asleep from being woken up so suddenly, I turned and saw that Bella was no longer in my arms and that was when I heard the unmistakable sound of her throwing up in the bathroom.

I finally came to my senses, and jumped out of the bed. I lightly jogged to the bathroom where she was still throwing up, and sobbing. I shut the bathroom door behind me so she wouldn't wake Liam. In two long strides I was right behind her, and I pulled the hair out of her face. I knelt down behind her and rubbed her back with the hand that wasn't holding her hair. I saw the tears coming out of her eyes from the force of her heaving, and I whispered comforting words in her ear. Her throwing up right now was different from all of the nights I have held her hair while she vomited.

Bella didn't drink yesterday at all. She was nervous all day long yesterday for what was going to happen today. She called me at work three times to just talk to me so I could calm her. I came home last night, and she was playing with Liam in his room. She looked happy of course because she was with Liam, but I could still see the anxiety in her eyes. I was proud of her for not drinking in her time of distress. To me, that was a very big accomplishment made by her. She has been doing really good these past couple of months. I got her to go to therapy with Julia, and she has been improving. She was still drinking, which was to be expected, she wasn't going to stop drinking overnight, and I knew that. But she was getting better. Sober Bella was lighter; she was usually in a good mood. We were actually scheduled for a joint session in a couple of weeks.

But now Bella was throwing up, and it wasn't from the alcohol, so I was worried.

"Bella. What is the matter? Were you not feeling good?" I asked when she was done. She got up from the floor, and went to rinse out her mouth and brush her teeth. I flushed the toilet and then went next to her, rubbing her back as she brushed her teeth.

She spit in the sink. "No, I think it is just the nerves." She said shakily. I watched as she went to rinse her tooth brush with a shaking hand. She rinsed her mouth out with water, and I pulled her to my chest. She held onto me, and took a deep breath.

"You will be fine, love. I know it is going to be hard, but I will be right there." I knew she was really nervous to have to see Renee in court today.

"I know, but so is she." I kissed the top of her head, and I rubbed small circles on her back.

"Then don't look at her. Just look at me the whole time, love." She nodded her head, but still remained still and tense in my arms. "I mean that is if you don't want to. I know I am so good looking it hurts to look at me sometimes, but I would completely understand." I attempted to get her to laugh, and it worked.

She laughed in my arms, and lifted her head to look at me. Anxiety was still present in her eyes, but the beautiful smile was overshadowing it. "Alright, Mr. Ego." She said sarcastically. I kissed her lips quickly.

"I was blessed with amazing good looks, what can I say?" I said, obviously joking. She laughed again, and rested her head back on my chest. We stood there for a couple of minutes in silence before Bella spoke again.

"Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I really don't think I can do this."

I sighed, and took her face in my hands, making her look up at me. "You _can_ do this, Bella. You have the meeting with Julia right before, and she will help you, and so will I." She moved her eyes away from mine. "Hey." I said softly, and she looked at me, tears now building up. "Don't let her get to you like this, Bella. You have been doing so well lately, and I am so proud of you for that." A tear fell out of her left eye, and I wiped it away with my thumb. "This will only be a couple of hours you have to go through, and you are so strong. You can do this."

"I love you." She said with a broken voice. I nodded slightly, and then pulled her face closer to mine and I kissed her forehead lightly.

"I know you do, love, so listen to me when I tell you that you can get through today."

"I do believe you." She said with a newfound determination in her tone that made me smile. She really is getting better.

"Good, now why don't we go try and go to sleep again since it is only five in the morning, and we need to wake Liam up for school at seven." She nodded her head, and we walked back to our room hand-in-hand. We both crawled into bed, and under the covers. I was on my back with one hand behind my head and the other holding Bella close to my side. Her head was resting on my chest, her body curled into my side, and it felt so good. It felt good to be holding her in my arms as we were going to sleep. We barely ever do that anymore, because whenever she was drunk, I wouldn't hold her. I wouldn't hold her because I was usually mad at her, or she was so passed out, it was like holding nothing, because she never held me back, or curled into me like she was now.

I had my eyes closed, and I knew it was only seconds before I was out. I heard her yawn against my chest, and I rubbed my hand along her arm absentmindedly. "Edward?"

"Mmm…"

"Happy Valentine's Day."

* * *

"Ten….eleven….twelve….thirteen…fourteen...fifteen…sixteen!" Liam said in triumph at counting all of his Valentine's Day cards for his class.

"How many times are you going to count those, bud?" I asked as I took a sip of my coffee from my spot across from him on the table. Bella was at the stove cooking some eggs and bacon that smelled delicious.

"Well I don't want to lose them!" He said.

I chuckled. "You won't lose them if you don't keep counting them, Liam."

He put him hands down on the table. "Daddy. Please stop pestering me about this." I almost shot my coffee out of my nose. I clamped my hand over my mouth so my coffee wouldn't get on Liam. It was hard to laugh with a drink in my mouth. Once I swallowed everything, I let out a loud laugh. I just couldn't control myself. What five year old says pestering? I knew where he got it from, but I didn't actually think he would remember the words. Every Sunday morning, he would climb in my lap as I did the crossword puzzle in the paper. He made me read out all of the clues, and he would take guesses. He was usually wrong, but I still let him try because he enjoyed it for some reason. But in the end, I would tell him what the word actually was, and I guess he was actually remembering some.

I was still laughing so hard tears were coming out of my eyes, and I could hear Bella also laughing at the stove. "What's so funny?" Liam asked, looking between the both of us, a confused expression on his face, which only made me laugh harder. I was useless in answering him since I was about to fall out of my chair, Bella was just putting the fire off, so she walked up to Liam, and ran her hand through his hair before kissing his head.

"We are just laughing because you are so cute, baby." He smiled at Bella and puckered his lips to her. Bella smiled and kissed him. I was too busy working on controlling myself. I finally calmed down, and wiped the tears from my eyes. Liam started counting his cards again, but stopped when Bella put a plate in front of him. She put one in front of me, and I grabbed her around the waist before she could walk away. She looked down at me, and I puckered my lips much like Liam did, she smiled and kissed me.

A kiss that tasted like mint…not alcohol.

* * *

I sat in the waiting room of Julia's office all by myself. The secretary was out to lunch, and Julia would have been if she wasn't so kind as to squeeze Bella in for a quick appointment before the court hearing. It started at 1:30, and it was 12 noon right now. I was leaning forward on my seat. My elbows were on my knees, and my hands running through my hair. I was getting nervous as the time came closer, and I could only imagine how Bella was feeling. Liam was at school, and Emmett was picking him up after and taking him to his house until me and Bella were done. We didn't know how long this would take, but hopefully it won't be too long.

There were a million different scenarios that were going through my head on what was going to happen today, and they all ended badly. Whenever Renee was in the equation, everything usually turned out bad. I also knew it was going to be hard for Bella to stand up against her mother. Before three years ago, I only saw Bella do that once and I wished I didn't have to…

_~Flashback~_

_**15 Years Old**_

_Bella paced on the kitchen floor, thinking about what she should do. She wanted to drink. She wanted to go to her mother's secret stash of vodka and drink until she couldn't feel a thing. But she knew that Edward would not be happy with her if she did so. It was Christmas Eve, and she has spent the whole day home alone while Edward was entertaining his family that he barely sees at his house. Esme invited Bella, but her mother said that she had to stay home, and if she found out Bella left the house, she would have banned her from leaving the house at all. _

_Bella stopped pacing when she heard a knock on her front door. She ran to the front door, happy for the distraction. She unlocked the latch, and opened the door. On the other side was a distraught looking Edward. He had tears in his eyes, his hands were shaking at his sides, and he was breathing heavily. Bella began to panic and she grabbed Edward's shaking hands and pulled him inside._

"_Bella." Edward choked out still trying to catch his breath. _

"_Edward! What is the matter! Are you hurt? Is someone hurt?" She took his face in her hands so he would look at her and listen to what she was saying. His eyes were darting all over the place, and she knew he was having some sort of panic attack. _

_Edward tried to pay attention to what she was saying, but his mind was all muddled up. He could only get a few words to describe his problem. "My parents…questions…tomorrow…tomorrow." He only used a couple of words, but Bella somehow knew what he meant. _

"_Okay, come here." Bella pulled Edward to the couch in the living room, and pushed him down to sit on the couch. She sat down next to him, and pulled his head to her chest. He was shaking, but held Bella around her waist. "It's okay, Edward. Just breathe. Concentrate on breathing and nothing else." _

_He nodded her head against her chest as she ran her hand through his hair, and rubbed up and down his arm with the other. His breathing began to even out a little bit, but he was still shaking. "I'm cold." He said. Bella reached for the throw blanket, and put it over him. She continued rubbing her hand over his arm to both sooth him and warm him up. "Thank you." _

_Bella dropped her head to kiss the top of his head. "No problem, Edward. You know I would do anything for you." He nodded his head, and continued to focus on his breathing. After about 10 minutes, he was back to normal. He kept his head on Bella's chest, and she continued to run her hand through his hair. "Do you want to talk about it?" She whispered. _

_He lifted his head, and looked at Bella. "They were all just talking about them whenever I was around. They always tell me how much I look like them, and what wonderful people they were. It was just like a slap in the face. I feel horrible that I don't even really remember their faces anymore. I barely got any time to get to know them, and they are all just talking about them, and I couldn't take it."_

_Bella nodded her head in understanding. "I really hate those people sometimes." _

"_Yeah me too, I see them once a year, and then they are just so inconsiderate. I mean they know I never really got to know them…" He stopped when his voice got caught in his throat and a tear fell from his face. _

"_Oh Edward…" Bella curled up in his side and he held on tightly to her. Edward cried softly and Bella held onto him to try and comfort him. They were interrupted though by the sound of the front door swinging open. Bella got up fast, and ran to the back of the couch, trying to block Edward from Renee's sight. It was for nothing though when Renee came stumbling into the house, and her face contorted in anger when she saw Edward sitting on the couch._

"_What the fuck is going on?" She screamed. _

"_Mom! It is nothing. Edward…he was just upset. I was helping him." Edward got up from the couch, and went to stand next to Bella. _

"_I really don't fucking care what this little bitch was crying about. I want him out of this house." Edward was about to walk forward to leave when Bella put her hand out in front of him. _

"_No." She knew what he would have to face if he went back home. "No, just let him stay here! We will go upstairs, and we won't bother you." Renee stared at Bella for a split second, and then did something both Edward and Bella weren't expecting. She reached over to Edward, and grabbed the front of his shirt, and began dragging him to the door. "Mom! What are you doing?" Edward was so caught off guard, he fell down with the force of Renee pulling him with her, but Renee kept her hold on him, causing the shirt to choke Edward. Bella panicked, and walked over to her mother, and ripped her Mom's arm off of Edward's shirt. "You don't touch him!" She sneered at Renee when she was in between Edward who was on the floor, and Renee who was standing, and fuming. _

_Edward got up fast, but only in time to see Renee punch Bella in the face. He was standing behind Bella, but he heard the sound of a fist hitting a face, and Bella's head whipping to the side and her falling to the floor. Edward stood in shock and not knowing what to do. He wanted to comfort Bella, obviously, but he also didn't want to do something that would make Renee mad at him…or worse, Bella. Bella was crying on the floor with her head down and Edward looked up to Renee. She had her eyes on Bella, and she spit on her. _

"_You are a disgusting human being. What kind of person would touch their own mother? I am the reason you are living right now you ungrateful pig." And with that, she walked out of the room and down the hall. Edward immediately went down to kneel next to Bella. He panicked when he saw blood in her mouth. _

"_Oh my God, Bella." He got up, and picked her up bridal style, and brought her to the kitchen. "You're bleeding." _

"_It's okay, I think my tooth just cut my lip. I am fine." _

"_Bella, that is not right. You need to get out of this house." He wet a cloth, and brought it to her mouth._

"_I can't." _

"_You can, Bella! There is always a way! You can't be living like this Bella. You don't deserve it." _

"_I can't." _

"_Bella, stop saying that. You can. You need to. I can't watch you go through this anymore. This hurts me too." _

"_I can't." _

"_Bella…" She stopped him talking by putting her hand over his mouth. _

"_I can't leave here, because it will take me away from you." She said softly, and tears continued falling down her cheeks. _

_Edward stopped himself from saying she was right. She couldn't leave because he would have to live without her, and he couldn't do that. "Bella. I am not worth it. You need to find a way out of this." _

"_But you are worth it, Edward. I have been living like this my whole life. It is kind of sad if you think about it, but I am used to it now. The only thing keeping me going is you. If I leave, I will not only have to get used to living a different way, I would also have to live without my life line; you." Edward wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her to his chest. _

"_I love you, Bella. I will do whatever I can to protect you from her. Anything I can." _

_~End Flashback~_

That day was one of the worst of my life. I always knew Renee hit Bella, but knowing about it, and seeing it with your own eyes is two totally different things. It killed me to see her like that, and it made me realize just how hard Bella had it. Again, knowing and seeing are two totally different things.

I looked up when the door opened to the office, and Bella walked out. I got up from my chair, and met her halfway. "Are you ready?" I asked.

She nodded her head. "As long as you will be there."

* * *

We walked into the court room hand-in-hand. We sat down on the opposite side of where Renee's lawyer was standing. He was a younger man, who looked like he made a lot of money by his designer suit, and big shiny watch. He looked like a lawyer a drug dealer would hire.

The doors opened, and two officers brought Renee in. She was looking as horrible as ever, and Bella tensed next to me. I wrapped my arm around her, and pulled her to my side, shielding her from her mother's disgusting gaze. Renee sat down next to her lawyer, and the trial started. They started off by stating what Renee did; prostitution, indecent exposure, possession of drugs, distributing drugs. Everything was kind of blur until Bella was called to the stand. She took a deep breath, and got up from the her seat. She squeezed my hand before she got up, and walked to the stand with her head held high. I was so proud, but so scared at the same time. The prosecutor asked the questions first.

"Hello Mrs. Cullen. The court understands that you are the daughter of the accused."

"Yes."

"When was the last time you saw your mother?"

"About four years ago now."

"What was your last meeting like?"

"There really was no reason for her to come to my house. She said some horrible things to me and my husband, and left."

"No reason?"

"No reason at all."

"Now I don't mean to upset you, Mrs. Cullen, but can you tell me about growing up with your mother?"

She was doing perfect up until that question, I could see her tense up, and I wanted to hold her. "Um…it was bad, I guess. I was usually home alone, and she started hitting me when I was around eight years old."

"Did your mother ever bring men to the house?"

"All the time. Almost a different guy every night." The questions continued like that for the prosecution. He asked her specific questions from growing up with Renee, probably to get the jury to see what a horrible person Renee was, and I think it worked. Bella was amazing, answering all of the questions with her head held high, and with so much confidence.

If only it could have lasted; it was Renee's attorney's turn.

"Hello, Mrs. Cullen." He said with a small smile. He looked right at her with a smug smile on his face. This is not going to be good.

"Hi."

"Now I know you said that you were physically abused by your mother, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any proof?"

This asshole. She looked down at her lap. "Uh…no I don't."

"That's a shame. So pretty much what you are saying about your mother abusing you cannot be proven to the jury."

"Um…" She looked lost, and then she looked straight at me. _I'm right here, love. "_I am not lying."

"Debatable." I saw Bella's face fall, and I wanted nothing more than to wring this guy's neck. "Mrs. Cullen, is it true you have been admitted to rehab three times throughout your lifetime?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you did. And your first time was when you were 16 years old. Wow. But you don't have to tell me more, I know what happened. You were kicked out from bad behavior. The records show you started a fight with another patient. Second time in rehab, age 19. Kicked out once again for sneaking in alcohol. Third time, age 22, you checked out on your own. Clearly you are an alcoholic, Mrs. Cullen."

"Objection, your honor, he is badgering the witness." The prosecutor said.

"Cool it down, Mr. Ryan, stick with only asking questions." The judge said.

"Mrs. Cullen, are you an alcoholic?"

Bella looked at me, and I could see the panic and tears in her eyes. "No."

"And she won't even admit it. Ladies and gentleman of the jury, this witness is an addict. As I am sure all of you know, addicts are notorious liars. Now I don't know about all of you, but I would have to say this witness's testimony is insignificant to this case."

"No." Bella said, a tear already falling, and it took everything inside of me not to run up there, punch that guy in the face, and take Bella out of here.

"No?"

"I am not lying. My mother abused me as a child. I know what I am talking about."

"The court already knows that your mother was an alcoholic back in the day, would you agree with that?"

"Yes."

"So you have been around her while she was drunk?"

"Yes."

"You have a son Mrs. Cullen, am I correct." This guy was really pissing me off; there is no need for him to bring our son into this.

Bella looked a mix of angry and scared. I was about to lose it. "Yes."

"So your son has been around you while you are drunk?" Bella was silent as the tears fell down her eyes. "Answer the question, Mrs. Cullen."

"Yes."

"Do you hit your son?"

"Absolutely not!"

"How do we know that?"

"Objection, your honor! This has nothing to do with the case." The prosecutor said.

"You are right, Mr. Ryan, stick to the topic."

"I would just like to say that this woman is an addict, and she is most likely lying. I ask the ladies and gentleman of the jury to keep that in mind. I have no further questions, your honor."

The judge nodded, and looked to Bella. "You may step down, Mrs. Cullen." Bella got up from the bench immediately, and walked back to me. I stood up, ready to bring Bella out of here. I grabbed her hand and we walked out of the court room together. Once we were at our car, I took her face in my hands to look at her.

"Are you okay, love?"

"I don't know…" She wasn't looking at me, and I knew she was thinking about what happened in there.

"Bella…"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Edward. Please. I just want to go home. I need to think about things."

I nodded my head, and kissed her forehead. "Okay."

* * *

"Is Mommy still sleeping?" Liam asked as he crawled under the covers. Bella was in the bedroom sleeping. She was quiet ever since we got back, and I was afraid of what was going through her mind.

"Yeah, she is pretty sleepy today."

"Yeah, sometimes that happens."

I smiled and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, son. I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy." I got up from his bed, but he pulled on my hand. "Wait!"

"What?"

"Come here." He said while waving his hand towards him. I sat down next to him, and he reached for my face. He grabbed both of my cheeks and pulled me towards him. He kissed my right cheek. "Give that kiss to Mommy when she wakes up, please?"

I smiled and kissed his forehead. My son is a really good kid. "I promise I will give it to her." He nodded his head, and put his hands behind his head. I pulled his blankets up, and walked out of the room. I walked to mine and Bella's room, and my heart stopped when I opened the door.

There was a suitcase on the bed, with Bella's clothes inside. She can't be leaving us, could she?

I saw her kneeling on the floor in front of the bureau. "Bella…" She turned around when she heard me, and got up from the floor. "What are you doing?" She walked up to me, and took my face in her hands, looking at me with so much love. She can't be leaving me, right? She looks like she still loves me, she can't want to leave. Right?

"I'm leaving."

"What?" I yelled, but she only let out a small laugh, and pulled my face down to hers so she can kiss me.

"You have to let me finish, baby. I am leaving tomorrow to go to rehab."

She still had her hands on my face, and I am sure my mouth was hanging open at the words that came out of her mouth. Did she really just say that? "What?"

"I am going to rehab. Today was horrible, but it made me realize how much I have been like my mother."

"Bella, you are not like her…" She stopped me with a kiss.

"I know you think I am not, but I am. I am home all day with Liam, when I am not in complete control of myself. What will happen if I do something to hurt him…I could never live through that, Edward. He doesn't deserve that. I need to get help."

I didn't know what to say. I have been waiting for this day all my life, and now I was speechless. I wanted to scream in excitement, and cry tears of joy. My Bella was slowly coming back to me. I was so happy, I didn't know what to do with myself. "Are you serious?"

She nodded her head with a smile. "I am serious."

"Oh my God." I grabbed her face and kissed her with all I had in me. She laughed against my lips, but still kissed me in between her laughs, and then she was crying. I pulled away and wiped her tears. "What's the matter, love?"

She laughed despite her tears. "I'm scared."

"You are going to be fine, Bella."

She ran both of her hands through my hair. "As long as I have you, I will be fine. I love you so much, Edward."

"I love you too, Bella, and I cannot tell you how happy you just made me." I pulled her in for a kiss again, and this was one of the best kisses I have gotten from Bella in a long time.

It took years, but my Bella is going to be getting help, and I couldn't be happier.

* * *

**So I guess the therapy has been working a little huh? So are you glad Bella finally realized that she needs help? Just let me know what you thought of this chapter all together! Thanks for the reviews last chapter, it really got me in the best mood seeing that more people were reviewing. **

**I will update again Monday! **


	16. Chapter 15: Laughter

_**Chapter 15: Laughter  
April 1, 2007**_

EPOV

"Daddy…Daddy, wake up!" I heard Liam say nervously. I opened my eyes, and saw the sun was already out, and I was staring into the eyes of a very nervous looking Liam.

I got up, and leaned on my elbow. "What is the matter, buddy?" I asked groggily.

"I had an accident."

"What?" I asked, Liam never had accidents, well sure he had some when he was first being potty trained, but never recently.

"I peed my pants, Daddy."

"Liam…" I got up from the bed, and looked down at his pants, they were dry. _What?_ Oh man, my brain can't function right after I have opened my eyes. "Liam, you are dry."

The nervous look instantly went away on his face, and was replaced with a mischievous smile, and a loud laugh. "April Fools!" He started laughing uncontrollably, and leaned on the bed for support. Sure he was making fun of me, but right now, I didn't give a damn. My boy was smiling, and laughing. That was a rarity these days. I smiled, and ran at him. I picked him up off the floor and threw him on the bed. He was screaming and laughing as I got on the bed and started tickling him.

"Ah! Daddy….s-stop….I am r-really going to p-p-pee my p-pants." He said in between giggles, he was getting out of breath, and I really didn't want him pissing all over my sheets. I stopped tickling him, and collapsed on the bed next to him. We were laying side-by-side, both of us with our hands behind our heads. He was trying to catch his breath, letting out random giggles every now and then, and I just sat listening to him. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, son?"

"I really miss Mommy." His voice cracked, and I knew he was going to start crying…again. My boy has been crying at least once a day since Bella left almost two months ago. She left the day after Valentine's Day. She spent the whole next day with me and Liam, and then left that night. Liam was upset and confused as to why Bella had to leave, and he screamed and cried when we had to leave him with my mother when I went to drop Bella off. It was one of the hardest things I had to do. It was something I had been waiting for so long for, but when I actually dropped her off, and she was gone, it hurt like hell. Bella cried the whole ride there, mostly because of how she had to leave Liam, and then we both cried together when we stood outside the door in each other's arms. Bella and I weren't good apart, but we knew it was something that had to be done.

I took one hand out from behind my head, and pulled him into my side. He was crying silently, and I tried to hold myself together as well. "I miss her too, Liam. But we talked about this, bud. Mommy is sick, and she needed to go to place that will make her better."

"But she didn't seem sick!"

"I know it didn't seem like it to you, but she was. You are too young right now to understand, but just trust me, bud." He nodded his head, and I wiped his tears away with my hand. "Cheer up, kid."

"I know I will try, Mommy told me she would get sad if I cry all the time."

"She does, and so do I, so no more crying, alright?" He nodded his head, and I kissed the top of it. "Plus, you know what today is right?"

He got up quickly and was in the kneeling position next to me on the bed. "Daddy and Liam day!"

I laughed and got up off the bed. "Yes it is. Now go get dressed." He jumped off the bed and ran to his room. I got up too, and went to the bureau to get my clothes out. I stopped though when I heard my cell phone ring. I dropped my clothes to the floor and ran to my phone, almost tripping on a shirt along the way. I picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, boss." Shit, it's just Karen. _Way to get your hopes up, Edward._ I was hoping for a call from Bella. She called whenever she could, and whenever she was allowed, and me and Liam haven't talked to her since Thursday, it is Sunday now. It was painful.

"Oh…hi Karen." I said with no enthusiasm at all.

"Oh that makes me feel real good."

I let out a small laugh. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it that way."

She sighed. "I know, you thought I was Bella, I get it. So you still haven't heard from her since Thursday?"

"Nope. But I really don't want to talk about it. Did you need something?"

"Uh, yeah. Mitchell called us both to work today."

"Are you fucking serious? I can't go into work right now, Karen. I am going to be spending the day with Liam."

"It's not for that long. You know he is leaving tomorrow for that business trip, and he just wants you to come in and brief him on some stuff, I guess. It will take you an hour tops. Just bring Liam with you; I will watch him while you are in with him. I am here all day so…"

I groaned. "Alright, fine. I will be there at 10." We hung up together, and I tossed the phone on the bed, just plain aggravated now. I worked every day this week, even yesterday, and he couldn't have had me just stay a little later yesterday? But I just put it all in the back of my head. I needed the money because rehab was not cheap. I walked back to the bureau, but my phone started ringing again. I picked the phone up and answered.

"Hello?" I snapped.

"Are you okay, baby?" I heard the beautiful voice of my Bella ask over the phone, and going to work didn't seem so bad anymore. Why was I sitting here complaining about having to go into work for an hour, while my Bella was in rehab right now, fighting to get healthy for me and Liam?

"Bella…" I breathed, her voice alone calmed my agitated nerves, and eased the pain in my heart at her absence.

"You are okay, right?" She asked, worried. She had no reason to worry about me; she had her own things to worry about.

"I am fine, love. Karen just called and said I needed to go into work later."

"On a Sunday?"

"Yeah but that isn't important right now, how are you, Bella?"

She let out a small laugh. "I am good."

"Good? Are you sure? You haven't called in a couple of days, I got worried…"

"Edward." She said to stop me from rambling. "You need to calm down, baby. I am fine. I haven't got a chance to call you because they have me busy doing so much shit; therapy sessions, meetings, activities, more therapy sessions."

"But at least you are getting help, love."

"I know, but enough about me, how have you been, Edward?"

I sighed. "I have been alright, love. Just been working, and hanging out with Liam whenever I am not working….and missing you of course."

And then I heard her sob over the phone, breaking my heart in the process. "I miss you too, Edward! I miss you and Liam so fucking much." She started crying, and he sobs became more pronounced.

"Love, calm down. Please stop crying, Bella." I started pacing the floor of my bedroom, and running my hands through my hair. I felt helpless. It was like my entire being went on panic mode when Bella was crying, and there was nothing I could do about it. No words I say can console her right now, I can't hold her, I can't even fucking see her for God's sake. This sucks.

"I'm sorry, Edward. This just all seems so unfair. I have been doing what they have told me to do this whole entire time, and they still won't allow me visitors. They know I have a husband and a son, but they still won't let me see you. I just want to see you." Bella wasn't allowed visitors until she made the two and a half month mark. That was the policy at the rehab facility that she was staying at. She was able to make calls out, but she wasn't able to receive calls. Again, it sucks.

I finally stopped pacing, and sat at the edge of the bed. I run my hand through my hair. "I want to see you too, Bella. I'm so sorry, I wish there was something I can do for you, but I can't I…"

"No, Edward! That's not what I meant." She took a deep breath, and I could tell she was trying to compose herself. "I am not blaming you, baby. I know there is nothing you can do about it; I know it is not your fault. I am the one who should be sorry, I'm sorry I call you, and spend the whole time crying."

I smile, and relax at her words, happy she seemed done with crying for now. "It has only been five minutes, love."

She let out a small laugh. "I know, but still. Being in here is starting to mess with my emotions, one minute I am fine, and the next I am miserable and crying."

"I wish there was something I could do."

She let out a frustrated groan. "I want to shake you sometimes, Edward! Stop worrying, and thinking that you always need to save me! I love you to death, I truly do, but you need to stop worrying, and putting everything on yourself. I plan on being with you until we are old geezers sitting in the nursing home together, and we will probably be chubby, with no teeth, and grey hair, but I will still love you. But right now, I quite like your hair color, so to save yourself from being subjected to grey hairs before you hit thirty, please for the love of God, stop worrying so much….Edward, this is not funny! Why are you laughing?" I couldn't control my laughter at her cute rambling. Maybe it wasn't meant to be funny, but I thought it was. Maybe it was because it has been a damn long time since I have heard her joking around, and laughing, and bossing me around. It felt amazing, if only she was right next to me. "Edward! Stop laughing!"

She was now laughing with me, so her demand actually meant nothing. "I love you, Bella." I said while wiping the tears from my eyes.

"I love you more, and thanks for the laugh, even though I think it was at my expense." I could tell by her voice she was smiling, and I wish I could see it.

"I was laughing with you, love."

"But I wasn't laughing at first!" We both started laughing again, and I was about to respond, when Liam came running in the room with his sneakers in his hands.

"Daddy! Can you help me tie these?" He said loudly as he ran into the room.

"Oh, let me talk to him!" Bella said excitedly and anxiously. I really was so proud of Bella. This was the first time she has been in rehab since Liam was born, and I was proud that she was still there. Although I missed her, and I knew she missed me, I knew the way she missed Liam was even harder for her. I had a hard time being away from him all day when I was at work, never mind being away from him for two months, and it was amazing that Bella was still staying strong, and wanting to finish her treatment, when I knew being away from Liam was probably killing her.

"You want to talk to Mommy, bud?" His whole entire face lights up, he drops his sneakers to the ground, and jumps on me. I hand him the phone right when he is on my lap, and he scrambles to hold it to his ear.

"Mommy?" He asks tentatively. I could faintly hear her voice on the other end, but I couldn't make out what she said. "Mommy!" He says excitedly and his smile is so big, it looks like it might hurt. "I'm good, Mommy. How about you? Are you feeling better?" I kiss the top of his head, and he leans against my chest as Bella speaks. "Well make sure you take your medicine…School is great...You want to hear a funny story?" I kissed his head one more time, before moving him off of my lap, and getting up.

"Just bring my phone down when you are done." I whispered, and he nodded his head. I got my clothes, and made my way to the bathroom. As much as I would love to sit with him, and hear what he has to tell Bella, and maybe make out some of the things she says to him, I decide to give him some time alone with her.

* * *

I jog down the stairs, freshly showered and dressed. Liam was still in my room, chatting away with Bella, it has only been about 20 minutes, and I knew their conversations usually lasted a long time. I walked to the kitchen, and turned the small TV on that is on the counter, I switched the channel to the news, so I knew what the weather would be like for me and Liam's day today. The weather wasn't on yet, so I went to pour myself a cup of coffee. I got some frozen waffles, and put four of them in the toaster. I was keeping it simple, I couldn't cook for shit. Bella was the only one in this relationship that could cook something edible…

_~Flashback~_

_**18 Years Old**_

"_Emmett! Please just come over here to help me!" Edward said into the phone. He knew he was acting immature, but he needed Emmett's help._

"_Stop whining like a little bitch, Edward. The answer still remains hell-to-the-no. I haven't seen Rose since last month when she went to visit her mother. I am spending the night with my girl, dude." _

"_What ever happened to 'there is one thing you need to know in life, Edward, bros before hoes'." Edward said in a stupid deep voice, meant to imitate Emmett's voice. _

"_First of all, I don't sound like that. Second of all, I was young and stupid at that point in my life, Edward. Now I have a girlfriend, soon to be wife that I love very much." _

_Edward groaned. "Emmett, I really don't know what to do today." He fell back on his couch, and looked around at his and Bella's small apartment. Edward rented the apartment right after they both graduated from high school only a month ago. Bella was at work, she had a job at a local restaurant as a waitress. Edward told her she didn't have to work, but she insisted, since he was paying the rent for the apartment. Edward was going to school, but had no classes today. _

"_Bro, I don't know why you are getting your fucking panties in a bunch. This is Bella. You guys have pretty much been inseparable since well forever."_

_Edward ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. "I know, but it is different now. This is our one year anniversary." _

"_Anniversary schmaniversary, like I said, you guys have known each other for so long, that stuff doesn't really matter." _

"_Of course it matters. I am Bella's first boyfriend, and I think she deserves all of the stuff that comes with it." _

_Emmett sighed, obviously frustrated. "You know Bella won't care if you guys do anything today." _

"_Well I care. I know I was a good friend to her, but I think it will be better if I was also a good boyfriend." _

"_Edward, you need to calm down, bro. Stop over thinking this. Just do what you feel comfortable with, and I am sure Bella will like it. You know her way more than I do, you will be fine." _

_Edward sighed loudly, and got up off the couch. "Fine. I'll call you tomorrow, then. And hopefully I won't be calling to tell you Bella kicked me to curb." _

_Emmett let out a loud laugh. "Dude, I think you could buy Bella toilet paper for your one year anniversary of dating, and she would still think you hung the moon." _

_Edward smiled, knowing that was probably true. He knew Bella loved him, and he knew how much he loved her. If Bella wanted to give him toilet paper as a gift, he would be grateful. It sounds a little sick and twisted, but love makes people's minds work in sick and twisted ways. "Yeah, I guess you are right." _

"_Of course I am right. I am Emmett." Edward laughed, and Emmett laughed with him. "Alright I really gotta go. Love you, bro." _

"_Love you, too." Edward hung up the phone, and went into the kitchen. He looked at the clock, and saw that Bella should be home in about an hour and a half. Edward began thinking. He knew he wanted to cook something for Bella. That was one thing he knew all girls liked. He pictured her walking in, and setting up the kitchen table with candles and flowers, with an extravagant dinner. He would hold out her chair for her, and kiss her hand….Nah, scratch that, that wasn't Bella. _

_But he knew he wanted to cook something for her, but he wanted to keep it simple. What did Bella like…pizza. Pizza has been Bella's favorite thing to eat forever. He went through one of Bella's recipe books, and found a recipe for pizza. He wrote down all of the ingredients they didn't have in the house, so he could go pick them up. He grabbed his jacket, and went to get the ingredients. He planned on getting the ingredients, and coming home to whip it up real quick. It was pizza, it shouldn't be that difficult…right?_

* * *

"_What the fuuuckk." Edward yelled as he stood staring at the dough. It looked normal enough sitting in the covered bowl, but it was not rising. The recipe said it would take about 45 minutes, but it has now been an hour, and it has not risen at all. Edward drummed his fingers on the countertop, which was covered in flour. He ran his hands through his hair, and went to grab his phone to call his mother and ask what he should do. He got to the phone, but dropped it when he heard the keys in the front door. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shiiitt." _

_He ran back to the counter, and scrambled to clean up a little. He picked up the package of flour, but the bag ripped, and flower started spilling out over the counter and floor. "Fucking hell." He whispered, and just started to shove everything in one big pile, the roller, the bowl with the dough, and the flour. _

"_Edward?" He heard Bella ask, and could hear her footsteps on the floor, coming towards the kitchen. Edward whipped around so he was facing the door where he knew Bella would be in a matter of seconds. He was right, and she entered the kitchen right as he turned around. She gasped, and he mouth dropped open. _

_Edward gulped, and brought his hand up for a weak wave. "Hello, love." He practically choked out, his nerves getting the best of him. _

_Bella stared at him with the same expression on her face, a look of shock and confusion. Edward gave her a weak smile, and then Bella lost it. She let out a really loud laugh that made Edward flinch at the sudden sound that burst through the silent room. She dropped her purse to the floor, and held her stomach as she was laughing hysterically. A part of Edward wanted to laugh with her, but the other half was completely humiliated._

"_I don't find what is so funny about this, Bella." Edward said as he wiped his hands on his jeans, only covering himself more with flour. _

"_I-I'm s-sorry…but I come in here…and you…flour…everywhere…in your hair." She stops talking and continues laughing. Edward can feel his cheeks turn red, and he turns to walk out the other entrance of the kitchen; he was embarrassed. "Edward, wait!" Bella called after him, she sounded a little bit sobered up. _

_Edward turned slowly, and Bella was walking toward him, looking at him fondly. She reached her hands up, going to put her hands on his face, but Edward stepped back. "I will get you all dirty."_

_Bella laughed softly. "I don't care, baby." She brought her hands to his face, and pulled his lips down to hers. Edward kissed her back, feeling slightly better at the contact. Bella tightened her grip around his neck, so her lips were still attached to his and her entire front was making contact with his. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, and they both moaned softly. Edward slipped his arms around her waist, holding her close to him. _

"_I'm sorry." He said against her lips. She kissed his mouth once more, and then pulled away to look at him, but kept her arms around his neck. _

"_What are you sorry about, exactly?" _

"_For fucking up what was supposed to be a good night." _

_She was still smiling at him, and she leaned forward to kiss him again. "Well that is ridiculous, because I think tonight is already turning out to be a great night." _

"_Are you on something, woman?" _

_She threw her head back and laughed. "No."_

"_Well how the hell is this great? You come in here; I am all covered in flour—which I think is the ingredient from hell by the way—anyways, I am covered in fucking flour that I had to use for the pizza dough that would not fucking rise…" Bella began laughing again, and dropped her head into his shoulder. "Bella! This is not funny!" _

_She lifted her head, and kissed him again. "I'm sorry, but you literally are the cutest thing I have ever seen." _

_Edward pouted. "I am not cute." _

"_Cute, sexy, beautiful, hot, whatever you want to call it. You just have a way of making me so unbelievably happy." _

_Edward smiled, and kissed her this time. "The feeling is mutual, love." They began kissing again, and Bella pulled away first. _

"_Baby, I think you should leave the cooking to me from now on, you seem to get too stressed out about it." _

_Now Edward was the one to laugh, and Bella joined. "Agreed." _

_~End Flashback~_

I smiled, thinking back on that time. After I showed Bella my defective dough, we decided to play with it like play dough. Sure we were both 18, but really, are you ever too old for play dough? I let out a soft laugh thinking back, and it got me missing Bella even more.

"And just in this morning, there was a shooting in downtown Seattle today, and police are in search for Jacob Black as the lead suspect." I heard the reporter say on the TV. Hearing his name caught my attention. I remember Jasper telling me that he was linked to Renee from when she was caught. She was out of jail now. She was sentenced to a month in jail. It was absurd if you ask me, but what the fuck ever. As long as she stayed away from Liam, Bella, the rest of my family, and myself, I could care less what happens to the bitch. "Police were unable to find Mr. Black, but they were able to get his girlfriend, Renee Swan, into custody." I almost choked on my coffee. The image shifted now to a video of two police officers pushing Renee into a cop car.

"Ms. Swan? Do you think Mr. Black had anything to do with this?" One of the reporters asked.

Renee started crying, and they were so fake I wanted to barf. "I absolutely think not. He is the most gentle and amazing man I know." He voice was so high, and just _fake._ It was no secret that Jacob Black was trouble. He was a gang member, a drug dealer, and most likely a pimp, considering what happened with Renee. I don't know the guy personally, but I can bet he was not 'gentle' and 'amazing'. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and I turned the TV off, I didn't want Liam to ask questions. He didn't know who Renee was, but he did know Bella's original last name was Swan, so I didn't want him to ask questions. He was in the question phase now.

I turned, and my shoulders slumped when he walked in the room sniffling with tears falling down his cheeks. He was walking toward me with the phone held out to me. I took it from him, and he went running into the living room. I saw the phone was still on, and I brought it quickly to my ear. Now I could hear her sniffling. This is so damn hard.

"Bella?" I asked.

"I have to go, baby." She sounded so sad, I can't wait for her to come home.

"Okay, but you are alright, right?"

"Yeah, I am as alright as I can be I guess. Being away from him just hurts a lot."

"I am sorry, love. We will come visit as soon as we can."

"I know. I really have to go now, though. I love you so much, Edward. Just take care of our baby for me."

"You know I will, Bella. I love you, just stay strong, love. You are doing great."

"Thank you. Bye, Edward." I said bye, and put my cell phone down on the counter. I immediately walked into the living room to see how Liam was doing. He was lying on his side on the couch, and watching TV. He wasn't crying anymore, but he did have tear stains on his cheeks, and he looked incredibly sad. I walked over to the front of the couch, and squatted down in front of him. He just kept looking straight and didn't look at me. I ran my hand through his hair, and then he finally looked up at me.

"How are you doing, son?" I asked softly.

"It's not fair, Daddy. Why can't Mommy just come home? She said she was feeling better."

"It's not as simple as that, Liam…"

"But why not?" He asked loudly, and he was really getting mad.

"Because it just isn't. You are too young to understand it now, but one day you will." He huffed, but he seemed to be cooling down a little bit.

"Well enough of this moping. You know Mommy wouldn't want you to be sad all day. Put a smile on kid, it's our day today! If you will smile for me, I will tell you what we are going to do." He looked at me, and gave me a small crooked smile. "That isn't good enough. Come on, give me a winning smile." He got up from lying down and smiled huge.

"Like this?" He asked; he spoke with the smile still on, so his words were strained.

"No I don't think that is good enough."

"I can't make it any bigger; my cheeks are going to break!" He still tried despite his words, and I laughed, because his smile wasn't really a smile anymore, because he was trying so hard to make it bigger.

"I'm just kidding. That smile will suffice."

"What does suffice mean?" I seriously think Liam is going to be a word nerd.

"It means it will do. So do you want to know what we are going to do today?"

"No." My smiled went away, because I was not suspecting that answer. "April fools!" Oh, and he is funny too.

I ruffled his hair, and he swatted my hand away. "Okay, well I need to go into work for about an hour."

"Boring!" He yelled, and we both laughed.

"I know, but you can come in with me and hang out with Karen."

"Yay!" Liam really liked Karen.

"Yup, and then after that, we will go out to lunch to wherever you want."

"McDonalds!"

"Your mother may not be too happy about that, but sure." Bella didn't want Liam to eat too much junk food, and McDonalds was like the holy land for junk food. I don't think it gets any worse than that, but of course everyone still loves it, especially young kids. It won't hurt him to have it every once in a while. "Okay, and then after that, I am going to bring you to a monster truck rally!"

He got up on the couch and started jumping up and down and pumping his fists. "Yes! Real monster trucks?" He asked.

"Yes real monster trucks! And I got us some good seats!"

He jumped off the couch and into my arms. I fell on my ass from the force of his little body, and he hugged me around the neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome! Now go get your shoes on so we can have breakfast and get this day going."

"Okay!" He got up off of my lap and ran upstairs. The day may have started up a little rough, but I have a good feeling about the rest of it.

* * *

I pulled into our driveway around 11 that night. Our day was amazing. We did all I told him we would do, and then we went to a carnival that we came across during our drive. We went on many rides together, we played games, and watched the shows they had there. All of this was after the monster truck show, which was awesome by the way, but very loud. So we had a busy and fun day, and it took its toll on Liam's five year old body. He was passed out in the back seat, and has been since I buckled him in there about an hour ago. He was actually tired way before that, but he did not want to go home from the carnival. I spent about an hour carrying him around in the form of piggy back rides, and holding him on my shoulders.

I turned the car off, and open my door. I get out, and pick up Liam from the back. He barely stirred, and just rested his head on my shoulder, and continued sleeping and snoring softly. My poor boy, he was exhausted. I closed the door with my foot, and walked with Liam to the front door. I unlocked the door and opened it.

I felt my heart beating fast against my chest, and the adrenaline run through my veins when I heard movement coming from the living room. My mind instantly went to a dark place. What if it was Jacob Black? Or Renee?

I held onto Liam tighter, and then I saw a shadow of a woman walking toward me. My heart beat faster, but in a different way now.

"Bella." I breathed out. She smiled wide at me, and I swear I was dreaming, maybe I was more tired than I thought, and it is messing with my brain. "Is that really you?"

"Of course it is, Edward." She whispered and then came walking toward me. She went to Liam first, and kissed his forehead many times, and ran her hand through his hair, he was still out for the count. When she looked back up at me, she had tears running down her cheeks.

"Should I wake him?"

"No." She said immediately and kissed him again. "Let him sleep, you both must have had a long day."

"We did. Well just come with me upstairs to put him to bed, please?" I was kind of in a state of shock. What the hell was she doing here? Did she quit? Did they let her go? Was she really here? What the hell was going on?

I walked up the steps with Liam, and felt Bella behind me. I could hear her footsteps, and can hear her sniffling, so that means she is here right? I opened the door to Liam's room, and Bella pulled his covers back for me. I gently layed him down on the bed, and Bella took his sneakers off. She pulled his jeans off, and decided to just let him sleep in his t-shirt and underwear. Liam was still in a deep sleep, but he still moved his hands so they were behind his head. I heard Bella let out a small laugh, and she bent down to kiss his head one more time, and whispered she loved him. I was still confused, but I bent down to kiss him. Bella walked out of the room, and I walked out after her. She walked into our room, and I followed her. I shut the door behind me, and then she threw herself at me. She knocked the wind out of me, and I held her closely.

She was really here.

"Bella." I whispered and she was crying.

"Oh Edward, I missed you so much, baby."

She had her legs locked around my waist, and I walked over to the bed with her still clinging to me and sat down. She pulled away, and began tracing my face with her fingers. "Bella, what are you doing here? You still had at least a month left of rehab…what…"

"I know. I checked myself out."

"What? Bella why would you do that! You were doing so good!" I was actually getting pretty mad at her. She was doing perfectly, why would she stop for no reason?

"You didn't let me finish, babe."

"What else is there to say? I don't think there is any sound excuse for you to check yourself out of rehab! What were you thinking? Why did you do that? This is crazy; I thought you were going to go through with it this time…Bella I thought…"

"I'm pregnant." She blurted out, interrupting my rambling speech of confusion. Her statement didn't help my muddled up brain.

"Huh?"

She let out a small laugh, and kissed my lips, I don't know if I kissed her back, because it seems my brain was fried, nothing made sense at the moment. "I am pregnant, Edward. I am with child. There is a bun in the oven. Knocked up. There is a baby growing inside of me. Do you get it now, you silly man?"

"You're serious?"

"Of course I am serious, Edward! Are you feeling okay, baby? You seem a little lost."

"It is April Fool's Day, I was just checking."

"This is not something I would joke about. I am pregnant. My doctor discovered it just this morning after I had to pee in a cup for them to test for alcohol. According to her, I am three months pregnant."

"How did they not find it out sooner, if you are three months pregnant, you were pregnant when you checked in."

She shrugged. "I guess they were just not looking for it."

"Holy shit! You're pregnant!" I said in surprise. This was really happening.

She laughed and kissed me, and I know I kissed her back this time. "Yes I am. You are going to be a Daddy again."

"And you are going to be a Mommy again." She nodded her head, and then laughed in pure joy. "We are going to have a baby…" I said in wonder. Me and Bella both knew we wanted more kids, we actually wanted a lot of kids, but this was just not planned. But that didn't stop me from being unbelievably happy. What if it's another boy? Or what if I get a beautiful little girl? What will we name the baby? What will Liam think? "Wait a minute, Bella. Then why did you leave rehab?"

She sighed. "I don't know if you will be mad at me, but I was doing good in there. After the whole horrible detox stage, I didn't even think about having another drink, but I was miserable in there. I didn't drink once while I was pregnant with Liam, and that was without any help at all. So I know that there is no way I will even think of drinking when I know I am carrying our child." She put her hand over her stomach where our little one was. I put my hand over hers, and looked up at her. We both smiled at each other. We were going to be parents again.

Sure it would have been nice if Bella would have finished rehab, but I trusted that she wouldn't drink when she knew our baby would be directly hurt from it. She did it once with Liam, and she can do it again.

I just know she can.

* * *

**Well this chapter wasn't very angsty and full of drama, huh? Well don't get used to it….lol just kidding…or am I? I guess you will just have to find out! So Bella is back home, Renee is still canoodling with drug dealers, and another baby is coming! I am pretty sure you already know who is going to be making their appearance soon! It might be next chapter…just saying. I haven't decided yet, but I think she will be here next chapter, so that means time jump! **

**So what do you think will happen next? Did you like what happened in this chapter? Do you think Bella will drink while she is pregnant? Let me know whatever is going on in your head! I love you guys,Your reviews make me in the best mood. **

**Follow me on Twitter if you have one! I post teasers and such (I post them on the thread too). My Twitter name is Blueking141**

**Next chapter will be out Friday! **


	17. Chapter 16: Name

_**Chapter 16: Name  
September 22, 2007**_

EPOV

I think my secretary is certifiably crazy.

I come down from my surprise Saturday meeting, stressed out, and ready to go home, and I find Karen sitting at her desk, with her headphones in, bobbing her head with the music, and had a sombrero on. I guess this would be fine if she was at home, but she was at work, and where the fuck did she get that sombrero? She was not wearing it this morning when I got into work.

She took her headphones out when she saw me, and smiled. "Hey, Boss."

"Hey Karen, you feeling okay?"

She laughed. "Of course I am! What would make you think otherwise?"

"Uh…you are randomly wearing a sombrero. Where did you get that?"

"Where did you get that tie?" She said. I looked down at my red tie, and then up at her in confusion, why did she want to know where I got my tie?

"The store?"

"And that is where I got my sombrero. Don't you like it?"

"Yes, it is very nice, but why?"

"Why did you wear your tie?"

I stared at her for a moment. "I think I will just go in my office." I said a matter of factly.

She laughed. "You are so easy to confuse, Boss."

"Whatever." I mumbled as I walked into my office. I could hear her laughing and I cracked a smile, shaking my head. Crazy I tell you. She walked in after me, and I set down my laptop and papers on my desk. I was ready to leave. Today is Saturday, and I wasn't even supposed to come in today, but I got a wonderful call at 5:30 this morning from Mitchell telling me about the meeting we had set up for 7:30 this morning. The meeting was really long, and it was almost 10 now. I sat down at my desk to check my e-mails, and Karen put a stack of papers on my desk.

"These are proofed, and ready to go. All you need to do is sign them by next Wednesday."

"Fun."

"Yeah I know. So how is Bella doing?"

"She is doing great. A little moody, but I guess that is to be expected considering she is eight months pregnant."

"Yeah that is true. So you are having a girl, huh? Have you guys thought of any names?"

I smiled, thinking about our little girl. We decided this time around to find out the sex of the baby, mostly for Liam. We wanted to keep him involved with the decisions we make about the baby as much as we can. So we figured if we knew the sex it would give him time to help us think of names, and just for him to get used to the idea of having a new sibling. We were having a girl, and couldn't be happier. I can't wait to spoil that little princess rotten.

"Yup. We are having a girl, and finding a name has turned out to be a difficult task actually."

"Well you need to come up with a name eventually!"

"Oh really, Karen? I didn't know that." I said sarcastically, and she laughed.

"Can I go home now?" She whined, joking around.

I laughed. "Yes! Get out of here, woman!"

"Alright, but you need to get home too, Boss. Go take care of your kid, and the wife carrying your other kid." She said as she walked to the door.

"I am almost finished up here. Have a good rest of the weekend, Karen." She said bye, and left. I finished up with the e-mails, so I didn't have to do them Monday. I have been trying to stay on top of my work for when Bella has the baby. I am going to be taking a couple of weeks off, and I don't want to be stuck with massive amounts of work when I get back. I looked at the clock, and saw that it was already 10:30, and I wanted to get home by 11. Liam was going out with Alice, Jasper, Rylan, and Braedon to a circus show at 12, and I wanted to at least spend a little time with my boy. Me and Bella would normally have joined them to the circus, but Bella is getting quite large, so she has been unable to really walk around that much. Alice and Jasper offered to take Liam on their own, so I could stay home with Bella. A little alone time sounds really good right now.

* * *

I opened the front door of our house, and walked right in. It was virtually silent in the house. I put my things down by the door, and lightly jogged up the stairs. I heard Bella and Liam talking from mine and Bella's room, and decided to eavesdrop a little bit.

"So how is she going to get out of there?" I heard Liam ask. Oh…that is kind of a tough question, how is Bella going to answer that one?

"Well how do you think she will get out of there?" Nice, distract him from his question with another question.

"I think one day, your tummy will just explode! It will explode, and then she will fly out with all of your guts!"

What the fuck? Where does he get this shit? Bella laughed. "I think I need my guts, baby. And babies can't fly you silly boy."

"Well your guts will grow back, and you will be all better." He said like it was no big deal. "And babies may not be able to fly, but my baby sister can."

Bella chuckled, and so did I. "Oh really?"

"Yup!"

"Well we will see about that won't we?"

"Can I name her, Mommy?" Liam asked.

"You can definitely help, Liam, but we need to at least wait for Daddy to get home so we can talk about it together." I chose that opportunity to make an entrance.

"I'm home." I opened the door all the way, and saw that Bella was propped up on the bed by pillows, and Liam was lying next to her with his hand over her stomach where my little girl was. Now this is a beautiful sight to come home to.

"Daddy!" Liam yelled excitedly, but he didn't make a move to move from his spot beside Bella. Bella gave me her glowing smile, and I went to sit on her other side. I leaned over and kissed Liam's head before I settled myself beside Bella and wrapped my arm around her. The hand that was around Bella's shoulders reached Liam's head, and I put my other hand over Bella's stomach where my princess was. I rubbed my hand over Bella's stomach, and then looked up at her. She was looking at me with so much love. I smiled, and leaned over to kiss her, keeping it as PG as I could since there was a little boy in the room.

"How have you been feeling today, love?" I asked softly when we pulled away.

"I feel pretty pregnant." She said with a huff, and I laughed.

"You're pregnant?" I asked in mock shock.

She laughed and pulled my face down by my cheeks, and kissed me. "You really need to pay more attention, Daddy." Liam said, shaking his head in amazement of my stupidity. Bella and I both laughed, and we went into an explanation of what sarcasm was with Liam. Liam was so smart and yearning to learn, he definitely was his own character, and I cannot wait to find out what our baby girl will be like.

* * *

I got a running start at the front of our door, and then jumped face first into the bed next to Bella. My face was buried in the pillow, and I could hear her soft laugh, and then felt her hands in my hair. I turned my head to look at her.

"You just get a random burst of energy, baby?" She asked, and I laughed.

"I guess you could call it that. I was just anxious to come lay down with my beautiful wife who is carrying our beautiful child." I crawled down further on the bed so I was right in front of where my baby girl was. I leaned on my right elbow, and moved Bella's shirt up with my left. I put my left hand over Bella's stomach, and smiled. Bella was running her hand through my hair, and I peeked a glance at her; she was smiling down at me with tears in her eyes. She has been crying a lot lately over the littlest things. But even though the crying seemed to be a normal thing now, it didn't stop me from worrying.

"What's the matter, love?" I asked, still looking at her.

"Oh it's nothing I guess." She said and ran her fingernails along my scalp.

"If you are crying, it must be for something, Bella." She brought her hand down the side of my face and cupped my cheek with her hand.

"You are an amazing father, Edward."

"Well thank you, beautiful, but why does that make you cry?"

"I makes me cry because it is a beautiful thing to see you so attentive, amazing, and just perfect at being a father. It makes me so happy to know that no matter what, I know that my children will always have their father." She wiped the tears from her eyes, and I knew she wasn't finished yet. I scooted up closer to her and wiped the rest of her tears away with my hand.

"What else, love? I know that is not only it."

She nodded her head. "But it also makes me sad, because I wish I could have had that. A Daddy that loved me, and treated me the way you treat our children." I could feel my face fall at her words, and I looked at my broken wife. She was perfect in my eyes, but it was also painfully clear that she was broken mentally and emotionally. Besides myself, and to an extent, my family, Bella has had no one. Not a lot of people can understand what that is like; even I don't understand. Although I try, I never truly grasp it, and no one knows Bella better than I do. Sure she has had me for most of her life, but that was it. I am only one person. No matter how much we know each other, or love each other, I will never be able to fill in the gaps of Bella's family. I can't be a mother to her, or a father, or an aunt, uncle, cousin, grandmother, grandfather, brother, or a sister. It is impossible.

"Bella…" I didn't really know what to say. I can't give that to her. I can't just go out and get her a father to come and care for her no matter how much I wish I could. Me, Liam, and our baby girl are Bella's family now, and I think I am beginning to realize that Bella is unable to grasp that right now, because she never understood what a family was like. I mean, I know she loves me, Liam, and this baby with everything inside her. I know that because I know Bella. She has all this love, but she doesn't really know where to go with it. She has had no example on how to be a mother or a wife or an aunt, she just can't grasp what to do, but she was trying her hardest. Growing up, my family has been around her, but only for small amounts of time. Half of the time Bella was at home growing up, because Renee forbade her to leave the house. Her encounters with the rest of my family were sporadic, and inconsistent.

"I'm sorry, Edward. Just forget I said anything. I am really just being a baby about this, I guess. I need to stop moping and be grateful for what I have."

"But I want to know what you are thinking, love. I like it when you share what you are feeling. We can talk more about it if you want, and I can try and help any way I can."

"I know, but there really isn't anything to share. I am done with my own pity party. Julia says I need to try and get past what happened in the past, but I am just having trouble with that. But I don't want to talk about that right now. Let's talk about the now. Let's talk about our little girl." She said with a smile, and rubbed her hands over her stomach.

"Have you thought of anymore names?" I asked.

"Well I have been thinking about one, but I don't think I would want to use it for a first name. Maybe a middle name?"

"I thought we were going to use Isabella?"

She cringed and shook her head immediately. "No."

"What? Why?"

"I don't want to have our daughter named after me."

"Why would you say that, Bella?" I asked.

"You know why, Edward." I sighed, because I did understand to an extent. It all really goes back to Renee. It seems everything bad always goes back to her…

_~Flashback~_

_**8 Years Old**_

"_I will go get your toothbrush!"Bella said excitedly as she ran out of Edward's room. Edward laughed at her excitement to get a toothbrush, and got his pajamas out of his drawer. Once he had them out, he put them in the blue backpack that Esme gave him to use. Bella came running back into Edward's room with the toothbrush held out in front of her, a large smile planted on her face. "Here you go!" _

"_Thanks, Bella." Edward said, and put the toothbrush in his bag. "Okay, I'm ready." _

_Bella jumped up and down and squealed."Yay! Sleepover at my house!" She grabbed Edward's hand and dragged him down the stairs. Esme and Carlisle were curled up on the couch together when they walked into the living room. _

"_Hey you two, are you ready to go?" Carlisle asked. _

"_Yes we are. Can we just go over?" Edward asked. _

"_No, let me walk you guys over." Carlisle said. He kissed Esme's head, and then walked over to the two small children by the door. He opened the door, and both Edward and Bella ran out ahead of him. They ran to the front door of Bella's house, and waited for Carlisle to catch up. Carlisle finally made it up to the door and Bella opened it. _

"_Mommy!" She yelled as she walked in the door. Edward went to follow her into the house, but Carlisle grabbed the back of his shirt. Edward looked back at Carlisle._

"_I want you to call home if anything at all happens or you feel uncomfortable, okay son?" _

"_I'll be fine; Bella is going to be there." Carlisle nodded, and put his hand on Edward shoulder. He bent down and kissed the top of his head. _

"_Have fun." Edward nodded and ran in after Bella who was jabbering away at Renee who wasn't paying attention; she was just looking at the TV. _

"_So I was thinking we can order some pizza! Can we Mommy please? Please?" Bella asked with her hands clasped in front of her in a pleading manner. _

"_Can you stop whining, I am trying to watch this." _

"_But Mommy, it is almost time for dinner."_

"_But Mommy." Renee mocked. "I am not wasting my money to buy you and your little friend pizza. You know where the peanut butter and jelly is, Isabella." _

"_But Mom…" _

"_Shut up already, Bella. I have a friend coming over soon, and I am trying to watch this damn show." Bella looked down at her hands, and nodded slowly. She got up from the couch, and walked over to Edward, not meeting his eyes. She walked past him, and he followed after her into the kitchen. Bella dragged a chair over to the counter, and Edward stood off to the side, not knowing what to say, because Bella looked really sad. She stood on her tip toes on the chair and reached for a jar of peanut butter, and then a jar of jelly from the cabinet. She got down from the chair and got the bread from the other counter. Then she turned to Edward. _

"_I'm sorry we have to have boring old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Edward." _

_Edward walked over to Bella, and took the bread away from her. "It's okay, Bella. I like peanut butter and jelly." _

"_I know, but sleepovers are supposed to be fun like when we have sleepovers at your house. I want sleepovers at my house to be fun too." _

"_We can still have fun! But I don't know how to make sandwiches, can you?" _

_Bella smiled and nodded her head, happy she could do something for Edward. "Yup! I know how to make them!" _

"_Great! Then I will just watch." _

* * *

"_Stop laughing, Edward!" Bella said, but also laughing at herself. They were on the floor of Bella's room drawing with marker on the pad of paper that Edward brought over with him. Bella accidentally got red marker on her nose, which caused Edward to laugh at her. _

"_You should have seen your face!" Edward said, he rolled over on his back, and held onto his stomach, tears were running down his face. _

"_It really isn't that funny you goof!" Bella said and hit his chest. _

"_Bella!" Renee called from downstairs, but it was weird because her voice was…sweet._

_Bella got up right away after hearing her mother call her, and opened her front door. "Yeah!" She yelled down the hall._

"_Come in here, sweetie, there is someone I want you to meet!" Sweetie? Edward stopped laughing and was shocked at how Renee was acting. Bella on the other hand had a big smile on her face, and a look of happiness and hope. _

"_Come on, Edward!" Bella said. Edward got up from the ground and followed her out the door. Then he followed her down the hall to the living room where Renee was with a man. He was a tall man with short brown hair, and wearing a blue suit. Edward recognized him instantly. He was a doctor at the hospital where Carlisle worked. Edward only saw him a couple of times, but he recognized him. _

_Renee walked over to Bella, and grabbed her hand. Bella looked like the proudest little daughter in that moment. "Scott, this is my daughter." Scoot looked at Bella with a small smile, and squatted down to her level. He held his hand out to her, and Bella's small hand shook his large one. _

"_Well hello, pretty girl. My name is Scott, what is yours?" _

"_My name is Isabella Marie Swan." Bella smiled and looked up at her mother, almost asking for approval, or just yearning for some sort of attention from her mother. Renee didn't look down at her. _

"_Marie, that has always been my favorite name, you know?" _

"_Really? Well my middle name is Marie, because I am named after my Mommy! That is her middle name too!"_

"_Well isn't that nice! You must be happy to be named after your Mom." _

"_Yup! It is the bestest!" Scott laughed, and ruffled Bella's hair. _

"_Did you know I have a daughter of my own? She is younger than you though, she is only six." _

"_But that's okay! I can still be her friend!" She turned to Edward. "That is my bestest friend in the whole world!" She said while pointing at Edward. Her other hand still held tightly onto Renee's hand. _

"_Oh I have met him before! Hi, Edward." Scott said with a small wave, Edward waved back. He turned back to Bella. "So what grade are you in?" _

_Bella was about to answer when Renee cut in. "Well how about Bella and Edward go back to play some more, and we can have some time alone." _

"_I would like to get to know your daughter, Renee. She seems like a really sweet girl." _

_Renee firmly removed her hand from Bella's and Bella's face fell. "But they are having a sleepover, Scott. How is that fun for them?" _

"_I don't mind, Mommy. Mr. Scott is cool! I am sure Edward won't either. Right Edward?" She asked, turning to Edward. Edward smiled and nodded. It made him feel good that Bella's Mom brought someone nice home. _

_And so Renee kept her mouth shut. They all went in the living room, and talked together, everyone but Renee. She would nod or give a fake smile whenever it was necessary, but otherwise, she said nothing. Most of the conversations were between Bella and Scott, and they really seemed to be getting along well. Edward joined a lot in their conversations as well. The night was coming to a close, and Bella was now sitting in Scott's lap. There was nothing creepy about it; it was just Bella's way of warming up to him. Edward found out he liked Scott too and their sleepover was actually turning out alright with their unexpected guest. The only flaw was the sulking Renee on the other couch. A look of anger always came across her face when she looked at Bella._

"_Okay, it is getting late; I think I should get going." Scott said, he got up from the couch, and held Bella when he got up, and she clung to his neck. Edward and Renee got up as well and they both followed Scott as he walked to the door. When they got to the door, he gave Bella a kiss on her cheek. "You are a very sweet little girl, Isabella Marie Swan." _

_Bella blushed. "Thank you." He chuckled and then put Bella back on the ground, and she walked over to stand next to Edward. Scott turned to Renee, and gave her an awkward wave. _

"_Maybe we can make another time for us to meet up so Bella can meet Olivia." _

"_Yeah, we'll see." She opened the door for Scott, and he walked out with another wave at the children. Renee shut the door, and faced Edward and Bella, her face filled with fury. "Edward. Get your skinny little ass in Bella's room. I need to have a word with this one." She said, gesturing towards Bella. Edward looked at Bella, and she had a worried expression on her face, but it wasn't for herself. She gestured for Edward to go, and plead with him with her eyes. Edward nodded, and walked down the hall to Bella's room. He stood near the closed door though, just to make sure Bella was okay. It was silent for a long amount of time, and Edward was confused. _

"_I really liked Scott, Mommy." Bella said in a small voice, but Edward could hear her. But he also heard the sound of a hand slapping flesh, and Bella's yelp of pain. Edward clenched his fists at his sides, he knew if he went out there, he would only get Bella in even more trouble. He looked around Bella's room to see if she had a phone. He wanted to call Carlisle and Esme to save Bella from here._

"_You really are an attention whore, aren't you?" Renee said. _

_Bella was sobbing. "I-I d-don't know what that m-m-means, Mommy." _

"_Of course you don't, because you are so fucking stupid." Edward couldn't hear anything but Bella's sobs after Renee's statement. _

"_Mommy…" _

"_Stop calling me that! I hate when you call me that! I am disgusted! I bring a guy home, a very rich man by the way, and you just take him all for yourself! I don't even get one word in! He doesn't even pay one second of attention to me! How am I supposed to get his money if you are always in the way?" _

"_I d-d-didn't mean to." _

"_Oh stop crying like a little baby. And what is with that name bullshit? 'My name is Marie after my Mommy.'" She said in a mocking tone, once again making fun of Bella. "Don't ever say that shit again. I don't even want people to know we are related! I didn't even want you for fuck's sake. But now I am stuck with a little prick who likes to get all up in everyone's business." _

_Bella was sobbing uncontrollably now, and Edward had his hand on the door knob, his own tears forming. "I'm s-sorry Mommy…" _

"_STOP TALKING TO ME!" Renee screamed. "Get out of my face you useless little piece of shit!" Edward could hear light footsteps running towards where he was standing and he opened the door. Bella was already halfway down the hall. She didn't look like she was breathing right. Bella ran straight into Edward's arms, and finally let out the cry that was stuck in her throat and making it hard for her to breath. Edward dragged her over to her bed and he held her as they were lying down. Bella cried for a long time and Edward held her the entire time. After she calmed down, she looked at Edward. _

"_I still don't know what I did wrong." She said sadly, sniffling._

"_I don't either, Bella. But I think it was nothing. You did nothing wrong, we were just talking with Scott, and your Mom didn't even try!" _

_Bella nodded her head, and looked past Edward's shoulder and out the window. "Do you think if I change my middle name she will like me better?" _

"_I don't know." _

"_She said she didn't want me." _

"_I know." _

"_Should I leave?" _

"_No!" Edward said loudly._

"_Maybe if I run away, I can find somewhere else to live. And then maybe she will like me more." _

"_You can't leave Bella." Edward said panicking._

"_Why not?" _

"_Because you are my best friend! You can't just leave me! You can come spend more time at my house!" _

"_Will that make you happy?" _

"_Yes." _

"_Then I will stay. Maybe I can get Mommy to like me one day." Edward nodded, and put his hand over Bella's cheek that was had a red imprint of a hand. He leaned over and kissed it better for her. She gave him a small smile. _

_If only he could kiss all of her other pain away._

_~End Flashback~_

Of course, Bella never got her mother's approval. She tried time and time again, but it never worked out. Now looking back on it, it makes me realize how good Scott could have been for Bella if Renee wasn't such a bitch, and was only after his money and undivided attention. Bella could have possibly had a permanent father figure, and even a sibling. Just one little family member to Bella could have made the big difference in her future. After that night, Bella never introduced herself with the middle name Marie. In fact, I don't think I ever heard Bella use the name again, until we got married, and she took Marie out of her name all together. She was now Isabella Cullen, and that was it.

I looked at Bella. "Bella, that is totally different. Your mother was horrible, you aren't horrible."

"I know you think that Edward but I know I am not the best Mom. It kills me to know that, but I am having a hard time. I…there is just so much going on in my head…"

"Bella please stop beating yourself up. You know I hate that…"

"Ah!" Bella clutched onto her stomach, and her face twisted in pain.

"Bella! What's the matter? Is something wrong?" I asked, panicking.

"It is a contraction…it's too early." She clutched onto her stomach again, and tried to breathe through the pain.

"You are over eight months pregnant, love. You should be fine." I said as I walked to get my phone to call the midwife to come over. "You are going to be fine is so is our little girl."

* * *

My daughter was born just five hours later. I remember the whole thing. I was sitting in the tub behind Bella with just my swimming shorts on. Bella was completely bare, minus the black sports bra she had on. She sat between my legs, and she squeezed my hands during every contraction. She would rest against my chest while I kissed her as much as I could, anywhere I could. There was nothing that will make a man appreciate his wife more, than seeing her give birth to their child. I experienced it when she gave birth to Liam, and I did the same when she gave birth to our little girl. She was just so _strong._

She pushed for about 20 minutes before our angel was born. I say angel, because that was the only thing running through my mind when I saw my baby girl for the first time. The midwife pulled her out of the water, and I swear I never saw a little girl as beautiful as her. Her beauty practically illuminated the whole room. She was so precious and perfect. Bella was sobbing tears of absolute joy when our screaming girl was placed in her arms. Bella brought her closer to her face and kissed her and hugged her tiny screaming form close. I got a good look at her from my spot behind Bella and I was stunned by her beautiful little face. I couldn't see what color her eyes were because they were scrunched up from crying. I leaned my head down and kissed her little face for the first time. Bella turned her head to look up at me and gave me a beautiful smile, a smile of pure happiness. Our baby girl was here, and she was so perfect.

"We are just going to have to check her out and weigh her." The midwife said, and gently took her from Bella's arms. "She really is a beauty, huh?"

"She is." Bella said, and I nodded, my eyes on my little girl that I loved so much. The midwife's assistant said that Bella could get out of the tub, so I helped her and myself out. I wrapped a towel around Bella, and then wrapped one around myself. As soon as I was situated, I pulled Bella into my arms. She held me tightly around my waist and laughed. "She is perfect, Edward. So absolutely perfect."

"I know she is, love. So what do you want to name her?"

Bella seemed lighter now, and it was obvious why. "Well you remember when I mentioned a middle name earlier?"

"Yeah."

"I was thinking Serenity. You know, she was always a calm baby when she was inside me, never kicked me too much. And now it just seems perfect, because just seeing her makes me feel so…."

"Serene." I finished for her, it was perfect. A perfect middle name for our perfect little girl. The only other thing that would make this even better was if our little guy was here. I called Alice and Jasper and had them just keep him until she was born and now I was itching to get to that phone so Liam could be here and complete this perfect moment. Plus, it has been a long time since I seen him, and I missed him.

"Yeah, so Serenity seemed like a good idea."

"It is…" I was going to finish, but I stopped when I saw the midwife walk in with my princess in her arms. I did not miss the look of panic on the midwife's face though, and I felt my world crumble around me. Bella must have noticed too.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Emily, our midwife, walked up to Bella, and placed our baby in her arms, she was sleeping now.

"We are going to need to make a trip to the hospital."

"What? What the hell are you talking about? Look at her! She is perfect! She is sleeping, she is fine, why would we go to the hospital?" I asked, and I put my hand on my princess just to be sure that she was here and real. I looked down at her again. She was too perfect, nothing is wrong with her. She will be fine. She has to be…

"I know she looks fine, but your daughter is very sick."

"Are you kidding?" Bella asked, her voice rising, and her holding our daughter closer.

"I can't know the specifics now, but I can tell you more when we get to a hospital."

"Well what do you think it is?" I asked, as we walked to the door.

"I don't know specifically, but I know what is causing the trouble."

"Then tell us!" Bella said, panicking I'm sure. I know this because I was too. I could feel the pain in my chest already beginning. This can't be happening. Not to our little angel.

"It's her heart."

* * *

**Was that cliffy too mean? Sorry about that! But the next chapter will be out Monday, which means you will just have to wait 2 days….that's not bad, right? **

**On my profile, I added a So You Think You Can Dance video that is about addiction. I think by watching it, some of you can get a better idea on what Bella is going through. Let me know what you think about that! **

**Just leave me a little review. It could be one word, or you can rant at me and tell me all that is bothering you, and what you like! Whatever you want is fine with me! Just review because it makes me more motivated to write, and it just makes me happy :]**

**Until Monday…**


	18. Chapter 17: Her Heart

**SURPRISE! Yeah I know it's an early update, but I felt bad for that cliffy last chapter, and I finished this early, so I was like what the heck? Why not just post it! Just take note, I am NOT a doctor, and nor will I ever be. The closest I will ever come to that is Google and WebMD, so if I made a mistake or something…sorry! I hope you like the chapter…**

_**Chapter 17: Her Heart  
September 22, 2007**_

I don't know how I managed to drive us there safely.

Emily and her assistant drove in their own car, and I drove our car. Bella was in the backseat with our baby. My hands were shaking, so I held on to the steering wheel tighter so I didn't get us in a wreck. Not only does my daughter have something wrong with her heart, but I also have to go into a hospital. The thought alone makes me want to throw up and run away. I can't do it. Having this feeling made me feel like a failure, but I couldn't help it. All I thought about was waking up that hospital room, and hearing that nurse tell me they were dead. That was all she said. "_They're dead_." She must have been aggravated that I was giving up such a fight, but what she said that night crumbled my world.

I wish I wasn't like this. I wish I didn't have a fear of hospitals. It would make my life and my family's life so much easier. If I didn't have this fear of hospitals, Bella would be able to give birth in a hospital like most people do. If I didn't have a fear of hospitals I wouldn't be freaking out right now about walking through those doors when my little girl was in the back seat, not even an hour old, and already sick. Emily said it was her heart. My baby's heart. It was all so overwhelming. When I saw her it was like there was not girl in the world as perfect as her, she still is perfect of course but there is something wrong with her _heart._ That scares the ever living shit out of me.

So I need to do this. I need to go through those doors and do this for my little girl. Hopefully if I have her and Bella with me, I will be able to do this. Esme and Carlisle both attempted to get me to go into a hospital numerous times just to get me over the fear, but it never worked. Even Bella tried once when I really needed to get in that hospital…

~_Flashback~_

_**19 Years Old**_

_Edward was erasing furiously the math problem that he messed up on for the fifth time now. "Jesus Christ." He muttered and continued erasing. He jumped when a cheese curl suddenly fell on top of his paper. He pivoted on his chair, and looked behind him where Bella was sitting on the couch with a bowl of cheese curls on her lap. She was concentrating on the TV, but Edward could notice the small smirk on her face. He turned back toward his paper, and soon another cheese curl landed. He turned fast on his chair, and caught Bella. "Hey, lady! Stop throwing your artificially flavored snack at me!" He said teasingly._

"_I have no idea what you are talking about." She said, still looking at the TV, and she bit on one of the cheese curls. _

"_Yeah sure you don't." Edward rolled his eyes with a smirk on his lips. He turned back to his work. _

"_Edward!" Bella yelled, Edward turned to her. "Stop studying and working so much! I can practically see the steam coming out of your head from your brain working so much!" _

"_Yeah but I need to get it done!" He said defensively. _

"_I know you do, baby, but you have been sitting at that desk for five hours! You need to take a break." _

"_But…" _

"_Edward Cullen," She said sternly. "You are the smartest person I know, you can take a small break from working. So get your sexy ass over here and love me!" She said in dramatic desperation. Edward smiled at her playfulness, and let out a small laugh. _

"_Okay fine." He sighed and got up from the chair. Bella squealed and placed the bowl of cheese curls on the coffee table, and opened her arms for him. He chuckled and walked over to sit next to her on the couch. She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed his lips. She pulled him down on top of her, and they continued to kiss, but Edward pulled away. "Okay this is a little better than studying." _

_Bella gasped and hit his chest. "A little better? You have your girlfriend here, trying to get in your pants, and you just think it's a little better than studying!" _

_Edward laughed. "I am just kidding, love!" He bent down to kiss her again, but she put her hand over his mouth. "Hey!" He said; his voice muffled from her hand. _

"_Do you really think after a statement like that, you are getting any?" She said and took her hand off of his mouth. He smiled and nodded his head, heading for another kiss, but Bella moved her head to the side. _

"_Kiss me!" He whined and continued trying to kiss her, but she kept on moving her head, and pushing his face away. "But I love you, Bella! I will die if you don't kiss me right now!" He said dramatically and Bella laughed._

_She put her hands on either side of his cheeks. "You are lucky I love you, and you have an extremely attractive face." She said, and pulled his lips down to hers. They didn't get far before the phone started ringing. "Ignore it." Bella muttered against Edward's lips and he slid his tongue in her mouth. Bella moaned, and reached her arms around to get his shirt off. Edward pulled away from her as she pulled the shirt over his head. He got up and pulled her with him so they were both sitting up. He pulled her shirt over her head, and kissed her again, his hands snaking around her back to work on getting her bra off. _

"_You are so beautiful." He whispered against her mouth. The phone stopped ringing and started ringing again only seconds later. Edward groaned. "Hold that thought." He whispered, and Bella laughed. Edward got up from the couch, and went to the desk he was sitting at and picked up the house phone. "Hello…hey Alice...wait Alice?" Edward's voice became worried, and Bella looked over at him. "Alice, why are you crying?" He asked. Bella got up from couch when she heard the apprehension in his voice. Edward looked up at Bella and he looked like he was going to lose it any second. _

"_Baby?" Bella whispered. Edward wrapped his arm around Bella and Bella rubbed soothing circles in his back. _

"_Okay, Alice. We will be there." He hung up the phone, and looked down at Bella._

"_What's the matter, Edward?" _

"_My parents…they were in a car accident." Tears built up in Edward's eyes. Bella gasped, and grabbed Edward's face. _

"_Look at me, Edward." Edward's eyes met Bella's and he his breathing was sporadic. "Edward, calm down. Please. Just take deep breaths and focus. Are they okay?"_

"_Uh…yeah, um…no, they are alive if that is what you are asking. Alice said they need to stay a couple of days." _

"_Do you want to visit them?"_

_Edward let out a long breath, his eyes never leaving Bella's. "Yes. But it's a hospital…and a car accident…" A sob came out of Edward's mouth, and Bella pulled him to her chest. The skin-to-skin contact calming both of them. "Just like them. I can't lose them too." _

* * *

_Bella pulled the car into the parking lot. She put the car in park, and looked over at Edward. He had his knees pulled up to his chest, his forehead resting on the top of his knees, and she noticed his hands shaking. She got out of the car, and walked over to the passenger side. Edward didn't move at all. She opened the door, and squatted beside the door. She put one hand on his shin, and the other was running through his hair. _

"_Edward." She whispered softly. "Come on, baby. You can do this." _

_Edward lifted his head and looked at Bella. "I can't. I can just see it, and I want to throw up." He choked out. _

"_Well you can at least try. I know you want to see your parents, and I will help you. I will not leave your side for one second. Do you want to try?" Edward stared at her for a couple of seconds before he nodded his head slowly. Bella got up, and kissed his forehead. She then stood outside the door, and held her hand out to him. Edward took her hand in his, and he got out of the car with her. Bella shut the door, and held Edward's hand with both of hers. "I love you." She whispered, and kissed his arm. Edward nodded slowly, but he had his eyes trained on the hospital in front of them. He didn't make any effort to move closer to the building, so Bella started walking, and kept her hold on Edward's hands. He walked with her, and took a deep breath. They made it as far as the front door before Edward started having any reaction at all. He stopped walking, and pulled Bella back. _

"_No." Was all he said, his voice like a scared little boy._

_Bella got in front of him. "Baby, we don't have to do this. This last thing I want to do is hurt you by trying to get you to go through those doors, but I know you, Edward. I know that you want to go in there." _

_A tear fell from Edward's left eye, and Bella wiped it away. "I want to, but I don't think I can."_

"_You can do anything, Edward." _

_More tears fell from Edward's eyes, and his hands began to shake. "I can't." His breathing began to pick up, and Bella could tell he was about to have a serious panic attack. _

"_Okay, come on my love." She said softly, and led him back towards the parking lot. She wasn't going to push him. Edward was crying along the way and people were staring while he was falling apart. Bella glared at all of the rude people along the way. She helped Edward into the car, and went to the driver's side. She pulled out of the parking lot, and Edward was now in full panic attack mode. Breathing heavily, sobs coming from his mouth, his hands were shaking. "Edward! We are gone, baby!" Bella was having a hard time driving when Edward was practically falling apart beside her. _

"_Bella…" Edward choked out; his shaking hands were braced on the dashboard as he tried to catch his breath. Bella drove faster away from the hospital. She tried to keep driving so she could get Edward home, but it wasn't working. Hearing his sobs, his cries, and the sound of him gasping for breath, caused her own eyes to tear up, and the road began to blur. She pulled off to the side of the road, and quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. She climbed over the center console, and climbed into Edward's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed the top of his head. _

"_Shh…Edward…" Bella began to softly cry as the man she loved was crumbling. Edward wrapped his arms around Bella, and sobbed into her shoulder. "I know it hurts, baby. I am so sorry. You need to calm down though."_

"_They are going to hate me." _

_Bella gasped, she tried to pull away to look at Edward's face, but he held on tighter. "Why would you say that, Edward?" _

"_I can't even go inside the fucking hospital to see them. What kind of person does that?" _

"_It's not your fault, Edward. It's not your fault. Carlisle and Esme understand, and there is no way they will hate you. It is impossible for anyone to ever hate you." _

_~End Flashback~_

Of course Bella was right, my parents didn't hate me, and they were fine. They were in the hospital for two days just for observation. A couple of broken bones, and cut and bruises, but that was it…thank God. I honestly don't think I could handle losing a second set of parents to a car accident again.

I failed my parents that night, but could I do that to my daughter as well? I don't think so. I need to do this, I have no other choice. There is no way I can stay outside when my daughter is inside there. I am her father, I am supposed to be there for her and protect her, I can't do that out here. So I don't know how I am going to do it, but I just know I have to.

I park the car in the parking lot of the emergency room, and I see a nurse running towards us with a wheelchair. I get out of the car, and help Bella get out of the backseat. The nurse guides her to sit in the wheelchair, and I go to unbuckle my angel from the car seat. She is sleeping peacefully, but I notice that she is taking quick breaths. My heart can't take it. _Her heart._

I lift her out of the seat, and this is the first time I have ever held my daughter since she was born. She was so small, so incredibly tiny and fragile, so innocent, and so beautiful. She whimpered a little bit, and I maneuvered her and myself out of the car, and rest her on my chest. Her tiny hand clutched over where my heart was, and I didn't want to let her go. But now a doctor came running out, and I placed a small kiss on the top of my baby's head, and I placed her in Bella's arms. The nurse wheeled her away, and the doctor began talking with Emily.

I was alone. I could have followed after Bella, but I couldn't move. All I saw was the hospital, and memories from that night filled my head.

"_They're dead." _

I don't think I can do this.

"Wait!" I heard Bella yell in front of me. "Go back! My husband!" The nurse looked confused, but then looked back at me.

"Come on, sir!" She said.

"Bring me back to him. Bring me back or I will get out of this wheelchair right now." She threatened. The nurse sighed in aggravation, but wheeled Bella and our baby back over to me. I felt like such an imbecile. I looked down at Bella when she tugged on my hand. "Come here." She said, and I squatted down in front of her. "I know you must be scared right now, honey. I know you hate hospitals, but I know you can do this. You can do this for our little girl."

"I know." Hearing Bella have that faith in me made me determined.

"Nothing can hurt you in there, baby." I knew she was right, but I could still feel the panic build up. "Here." Bella said, and started moving our baby in her arms. "Take her."

"What? Bella, no, what if I freak out, what if I hurt her?"

"That's just it. You won't hurt her, you are incapable of doing that, Edward, and I know that. Take her." She lifted her up to me, and I reached for her with shaking hands. The shaking immediately ceased when I had my daughter in my arms. Her small, warm body caused all of my muscles to relax because I knew I couldn't do anything to hurt her. I couldn't break down, have a panic attack, or anything else to harm her. It would for sure kill me. I looked down at her little face, and she was still sleeping. I wished she would open her eyes so I could see them. I placed a light kiss on her little nose. I looked down at Bella and nodded.

I could do this now. For my children I could and would do anything.

* * *

I made it inside with no incident of course. My beautiful girl was snuggled up to my chest, and I held her safely in my arms. I paid no attention to anything in that hospital except for my baby, and Bella's hand in mine. I looked down at her, and saw silent tears falling down her cheeks. I knew this news about our baby's heart was killing her. The nurse brought us into a room. She helped Bella onto the bed since she should be resting. She did just give birth not to long ago.

Seconds later, a male doctor walked in. He introduced himself as Dr. Cooper, and he was a heart specialist. "Now if you don't mind, we are going to be taking your daughter down to run a few tests." He reached for our baby who was still in my arms, and I in no way wanted to give her to him. I didn't want to know what he would say when he got back.

I kissed her head. "I love you, angel." I whispered against her head. I turned so Bella could kiss her goodbye. Bella was full on crying now, but she pulled it together long enough to kiss her and tell her she loved her. I handed her to the doctor. He turned around, and placed her in the little plastic bed, and a nurse wheeled her away. "How long will it take?" I asked. I moved to the bed to pull Bella in my arms to try and calm down her cries.

"It should take 20 minutes tops. I will bring her back as soon as the tests are over, and then it will be about a half an hour before we get the results." He walked out of the room, and I brought all of my attention to Bella.

"Shh, love. She will be fine."

"I want Liam." Was all she said.

"I called Alice and Jasper to bring him here before we left, he should be here any minute now. You need to calm down, Bella. You know he will get upset seeing you like this." I pushed the hair out of her face. Her tears were causing it to be stuck to her cheeks.

"But what if she is sick because of me? What if I did this to her." She wailed.

"Bella, don't think like that. You are thinking the worst, and you can't do that to yourself. We don't know what is wrong with her, it could be normal. Just calm down, love. She is here and she is beautiful, isn't she?"

Bella smiled and laughed a little, tears still pouring from her eyes. "She is. She looks so much like you."

"Well Liam looks like you, so I guess it is only fair that I get one that looks like me." I said in an attempt at a joke. She laughed a little, and I wiped the tears away. "Just stop crying, Bella." I said softly, and kissed her forehead. She nodded her head, and wrapped her arms around me. Her crying soon stopped, and we both just sat there and held each other. We both looked up though when we heard the door opening. We saw Alice, Jasper, Rylan, Braedon, and finally Liam. Liam ran through the door, and ran straight into Bella's arms.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" He asked; his voice apprehensive.

"I am okay now, my handsome boy." She pulled him in for a tight hug, and I put my hand on his back.

"How is she?" Alice asked.

"They just brought her in for some tests." I said.

"Well everyone is coming here. Do you want me to just tell them to wait out in the waiting room?"

I nodded my head. "Please? Just let them know that I will come out and get them when we know more."

"Of course." Alice said. She walked over to me, and gave me a small hug. She hugged Bella as well. Jasper was trying to stop Rylan and Braedon from playing with the hand sanitizer on the wall. "We will be outside." We both nodded, and they both left, leaving Liam with us. He had his head resting against Bella's chest, and facing me. I bent down and kissed his forehead. He gave me a half smile, but then he quickly pulled away from Bella.

"Mommy! Where is my baby sister?" He put his hand over Bella's now flat stomach. Well not exactly flat, because a woman's body doesn't just springs back to normal, but of course it was flatter than before. "How did that happen?" He asked, gesturing to her stomach. We both laughed; count on Liam to bring our spirits up even just a little bit.

"She is already born, baby." Bella said.

Liam looked around the room. "Well where is she?"

Bella's eyes began to water, and I knew she didn't want to have to answer him, so I took over for her. "Liam," I said softly, he looked at me, his brown eyes curious. "She is with a doctor right now. She was born, but she was sick."

He sighed sadly. "So she has a cold? Poor baby. Colds are dumb."

"No, it isn't a cold, buddy. She has a problem with her heart."

"Her heart?" He asked, his voice was higher, and I saw he wanted to cry.

"Yes, but she is okay, buddy. The doctors are just trying to find a way to help her." He was about to say something when the door opened. A nurse came in with our baby inside of the small bed, I heard Liam gasp. I got up from the bed to go get her.

"The doctor will be back in when the test results are finished." The nurse said, and I nodded my head. She smiled, and walked out of the room. I looked down at my daughter, and saw that she was now awake. Her hands were up near her face, and she was looking around curiously. I smiled down at her, and noticed her eyes were a dark blue color. Most babies were born with blue eyes though, so I knew that could change. Her eyes fell on me, and she just stared at me silently, her mouth in the most adorable 'o'.

"Hello, princess." I whispered, and I picked her up. I cradled her securely in my arms, and brought her over to the bed where her big brother was looking at her in wonder. I sat down beside Bella and Liam, and Liam leaned forward to get a better look.

"She's so tiny." He whispered.

"That's because she is brand new, honey. You were that small once." Bella said.

"I was?" He asked in shock. Bella and I both laughed softly. "Can I touch her?" He asked.

"Of course, but you need to be gentle." I said. I watched as Liam picked up her small hand with his index finger and thumb. Her small hand made Liam's hand look big. Her fingers curled around his finger, and he laughed softly.

"She's so pretty." He said in amazement. His eyes were only for his little sister, and I could tell he already loved her, and she already had him wrapped around her little finger. I looked up at Bella, and saw the tears running down her cheeks, and the smile on her face as she watched our children interact for the first time. "What's her name?"

"Well we haven't really named her yet, buddy. We know that her middle name is going to be Serenity, but we haven't thought of a first name." I said. He looked up at Bella, and I saw they were having a silent conversation. Damn mother and son connection, leaving poor old Dad out of the loop. "What?"

"Me and Mommy already like a name."

"Oh really? And what is that name?"

"Peyton!" Liam said loudly, causing the baby to jump a little bit, but she didn't cry.

"Peyton…" I said, testing it out. I liked it. She looked like a Peyton. "Peyton Serenity Cullen. I love it." I looked over at Bella, and she had a huge smile on her face. She liked it. I kissed her.

"Yes! I picked that name out, Daddy! I picked it out from the book!"

"That's great, buddy!" He looked to Bella.

"Isn't that great, Mommy! I gave Peyton her name!" Liam said.

Bella laughed and pulled Liam in her arms and kissed his head. "That is more than great, baby. I think Peyton has the best big brother out there." Liam was about to say something, but then the door opened, it was a nurse.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. Dr. Cooper will be in here in about 10 minutes. The test results are in." The look on her face caused my heart to drop. It's not good. She made a look at Liam, letting us silently know that we might not want him in the room when the doctor tells us what is wrong. I don't want to be in here. I don't want to hear it. I look down at Peyton, and I am still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that her heart is anything but perfect. The nurse silently excused herself, and I got up from the bed with Peyton. I lifted her under her arms, my fingers long enough to cradle her small head. She was looking straight at me; I smiled at her, and kissed both of her cheeks. I then placed her in Bella's arms. Bella cradled her in her arms, and she looked down at her for a second, before looking toward the wall at nothing. I could tell she was trying to hold her tears in for Liam. I lifted her chin, and made her look at me.

"Don't do it, love. You are wrong." She knew what I meant, because she knows I know what she is thinking. She is blaming herself. Although her drinking could very well be the reason this is happening to Peyton, we have no way to know for sure until the doctor tells us, and I don't need her going into this already blaming herself. That will help no one. She nodded her head, and I turned to Liam. "Come on, bud. I am going to bring you out to go hang out with the family."

"But I want to stay here!"

"I'm sorry, son. But the doctor is coming in soon; I will come and get you when he is finished." He sighed in defeat, and lifted his arms for me to pick him up. I picked him up, and held him as he leaned over to kiss Bella.

"Love you, Mommy." He said.

"I love you too, Liam." She said, her smile was beautiful, and I was once again thankful to my son for being able to have that effect on Bella. He really is a special little boy. I pulled him back up.

"Can I kiss Peyton too?" He asked, he looked nervous, like I would say no. Silly boy.

"Of course you can, bud." He leaned over again, and placed the gentlest of kisses on Peyton's little forehead. Her little nose scrunched up, and it was the cutest thing I had ever seen.

"I love you, Peyton. See you later." I lifted him up again, and he wrapped his arms around my neck, and rested his head on my shoulder. Oh how I love this kid. I walked out the door with him, and held him close. He was getting big, and it made me sad to know that I wouldn't be able to hold him like this for much longer. "I'm tired, Daddy." He said, and I began to rub his back as we made it down the hall.

I caught sight of one of the clocks in the hospital and saw it was eight at night, and he had no nap today, he really must be tired. "Do you just want to go home, bud? I can have Uncle Emmett bring you home or maybe to sleep at his house."

"Can you come with me?" He mumbled.

"No, I'm sorry, bud. I need to stay here with Mommy and Peyton, but I will pick you up early in the morning and bring you back here."

"Okay." I sighed in relief. It's not that I wanted Liam to go away; no, that was the last thing I wanted. But I also knew that I didn't want him to have to spend the whole night in the hospital. He couldn't do anything here, and he would probably be bored. I got to the waiting room, and I saw my parents, Emmett, and Alice. Rose and Jasper must have went home with the kids. All of them got up when I walked in the room.

"Oh Edward." Mom said, and ran up to me. I could tell she has been crying, and I felt bad that I didn't even come out to ease their minds a little bit. She hugged my side, because I still had Liam in my arms. "How is she? How is Bella? The baby?" All four of them were surrounding me, all anxious to hear some sort of news.

"Bella is fine and Peyton…" I stopped because I didn't know what to say.

"Peyton? You named her Peyton? That is so beautiful." Alice said with a smile.

Liam lifted his head off of my shoulder to look at them sleepily. "I picked it out!"

"That's a good choice, kid." Emmett said, and put a hand on Liam's back.

"Is she okay, Edward?" Dad asked.

"Um…she is perfect really. So beautiful, but they think there is something wrong with her…uh her heart." All four of them gasped, and Liam looked around confusedly. He rubbed his eyes, and put his head back on my shoulder.

"Oh the poor baby." Mom said. Tears already started falling from her eyes.

"Yeah," I cleared my throat. "The doctor should be there any minute now to tell us exactly what is wrong, so I really need to get back there. Would any of you mind bringing Liam home, or to one of your houses so he can sleep. Emmett stepped forward.

"I'll take him over to my house, Edward. I will bring him back early in the morning so I can see that daughter of yours." I nodded my head, thankful that he was willing to do that.

"Thank you, Emmett." I turned my head, and whispered in Liam's ear. "You are going to go with Uncle Emmett okay?" He nodded his head, and lifted his head from my shoulder. I kissed the top of his head, and he looked like he would fall asleep any second. "I love you, son. I will see you bright and early tomorrow, okay?"

"Kay, Daddy. Tell Mommy and Peyton I love them."

I kissed him again. "I will." I handed him over to Emmett, and Liam's head immediately went to Emmett's large shoulder. "Thank you, Emmett. I love you."

"Love you, too." He said, and then started to walk out of the waiting room. I turned back to my parents and Alice. Esme and Alice were crying, and my Dad looked like he was close.

"I have to go." I said.

"We will be here as long as they will allow us. Just please let us know what is going on with that precious child." Esme said. I walked over to her and hugged her. No man ever wants to see his Mom cry, I don't care how tough they are. I assured all of them that I would tell them what happened right after I knew. I hugged Alice and my father before I went back to the room. I caught Dr. Cooper walking into the door right as I turned the corner. I walked a little faster. He turned when I walked in the door, and didn't smile. This isn't going to be good. I walked over to the bed where an apprehensive Bella was with Peyton now sleeping in her arms. I sat beside them.

Dr. Cooper sat on a chair beside the bed, and he had Peyton's chart open in front of him. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, as I said before, I am Dr. Cooper. I really just want to start off by saying your daughter is absolutely beautiful, and I honest to God don't say that to all of my patients."

"Thank you." Bella said. Just get to the point.

"You're welcome. No I have ran several tests on her…um did you name her?"

"Peyton." I answered.

"Peyton. Okay, well we ran some tests on Peyton. We went into it hoping to find nothing, and for it to be just a false alarm, but I am sorry to say that wasn't the case." Bella let out a light sob, and I ran my hand up and down her arm. I briefly looked at Peyton, sleeping peacefully against Bella. "We discovered that Peyton has a congenital heart defect that we call Tetralogy of Fallot. Have you heard of the term?" We both shook our head. "Well there is actually a combination of four heart defects and they are a large ventricular septal defect, Pulmonary stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, an overriding aorta. I could sit here and explain each in detail, but I am sure you want me to just get to the point. The combination of these defcts is what we call Tetralogy of Fallot. Basically, not enough blood is able to reach her lungs to get oxygen, and oxygen-poor blood flows through her body."

Bella began to full out sob, and I took Peyton from her arms because I knew she was only going to get worse. I had Peyton cradled in my left arm, and my right arm was around Bella, trying to get her to calm down. "Is there anything you can do for her? Will she be okay?" I asked.

"There have been many developments to help cure small children, and really the only way to help her most would be open heart surgery." Bella began crying harder, and I closed my eyes, and shook my head. _No._ "And that is something I would like to discuss with the both of you. I don't want to perform this surgery now, because as you can see, your daughter is very tiny, and too fragile right now to perform surgery on. If her condition was extremely severe, we would have gone right into the surgery, but she seems to be doing fine for now." I looked down and Peyton. She was doing fine, she was sleeping soundly, so innocent, and oblivious to what was going on around her. "So I think waiting would be our best bet."

"Will she…uh." I cleared my throat, the lump there making it hard for me to speak. "What are her chances?"

"There are always chances for her to get worse, but new medicines and technologies are here to help her. I usually like to wait until the child has reached the age of two. But if for some reason she gets worse before then, I will perform the surgery then."

"So what do we do until then? What should we expect?" I asked. Bella now had a hand over Peyton's chest where her heart was. Bella was calmer now, but the tears were still falling. She kept her eyes on Peyton, and only on Peyton.

"I will start her on a series of meds. You will have to give them to her at specified times every day. Regular checkups are a must; I would say one every two weeks. And there are certain symptoms that will sometimes arise, and those are things you will need to look out for, and if any of them happen, you need to contact a doctor right away."

"What are they?"

"Well there is rapid breathing, this can be observed of course, and like I said; get her to the hospital as soon as possible. The most obvious will be her low energy. She will probably sleep a lot, and even the smallest bit of exertion on her part can cause her to be very tired, and even sometimes faint. Cyanosis is another possibility, and that is when her skin will be a tint of blue, and her fingernails." I was unable to form words. It was like each word was stabbing me in the chest and twisting in the most painful of ways. Rapid breathing. Low energy. Cyanosis. Fainting…fainting as young as she is. It was a lot to take in, even too much. How can something like this happen to my baby girl? She just got here on this earth, she doesn't deserve this.

"How did this happen?" Bella asked, and it was the first time she said anything the whole time the doctor was here.

"Well any congenital heart defect is actually quite common, but things like drug, alcohol, or smoking during pregnancy can help advance the chances of a child developing one." I knew this was a possibility, but thinking about it, and then actually hearing it was two totally different things. I expected Bella to break down again, but it was almost like she wasn't listening, and she just kept on looking at Peyton. "I know this is a lot to take in, so I will go now, and I will be back tomorrow to go into further detail with her treatment plan, alright?"

"Yes, thank you." I said, and he got up and walked out the door.

We were left in silence.

* * *

Later that night, around 10 o'clock, I was sitting in the chair next to Bella's bed, feeding Peyton for the first time. They fed her when they brought her in for tests, and now it was my turn. Bella was sleeping, she hasn't cried once since the doctor told us that her drinking may have caused this to happen to Peyton, but it was also very common so I don't think it was 100% her fault, she didn't drink while pregnant for long because she ended up going to rehab.

I look down at Peyton as I am feeding her. Her eyes are open, and she is staring right at me with her big beautiful eyes. She has virtually no hair on her little head. I can see thin soft blonde hairs on her head, but they are so blonde, she just looks bald…in the cutest way of course. "Hello beautiful girl. You have had a rough day, huh? Being born is a lot of work. I don't know if I was able to formally introduce myself earlier, but I'm your Daddy." She started squirming, and she made a small little noise. "Hm..was that a good thing or a bad thing?" She stopped moving all together, and continued looking at me. "I hope it was a good thing because I love you so much, my little angel. Me and your Mom are so happy you are here, and we will do everything in our power to help you, sweetheart." My voice cracked at the end thinking about what lies ahead for our daughter.

I noticed Bella moving on the bed, and she turned to face us. Peyton just got done drinking the last of her formula, and I brought her up to my chest to burp her. Bella was rubbing her eyes, and then she finally trained her eyes on us. "Hi." She mumbled sleepily. Peyton burped, and I got up from the chair to sit on the side of the bed.

"Here, why don't you hold her?" I said, and started handing Peyton over to Bella, but Bella crossed her arms. She hasn't held Peyton since the doctor told us what was wrong, and I knew why she was doing this. She didn't want to hold Peyton because of the guilt she felt. She didn't have to tell me, because I just knew. "Bella…hold her."

She looked off to the side, and shook her head. I could see the tears building, but I saw she was trying to hold them back. "No." And now I have had enough of this.

I scooted closer to Bella on the side of the bed, and I maneuvered Peyton around so she was facing Bella. "Look at her, Bella." Bella still was looking off to the side, and I pulled her face over with my other hand. "Look at your daughter, Bella." She finally did, and the tears and sobs already started. "Don't you see how perfect she is? Don't you realize what a miracle she is?" The tears started building in my eyes as well. The words I was saying were also registering in my mind.

"I do realize it, but I hurt her, Edward. I hurt her. She is so pure and innocent and just perfect, and I _hurt _her. I am her mother, she isn't even a day old, and I have already failed her."

"So think of this as your lesson, Bella. This is what you need to realize. Your drinking needs to stop. Yes Peyton is sick, and yes a part of it is because of your drinking." She was not looking at me, she was just looking at Peyton with love and hurt in her eyes. Peyton was still awake, and she was looking at Bella. "But what's done is done, Bella. I know you feel like shit right now, and I know you feel like a failure, but you need to get over it." I know I was being harsh, but I know I was telling the truth. I could feel it deep down that this needed to be said, and the tears continued running down my face. "There are two roads you can choose right now, Bella. You can go in that dark place that I know you are heading. You can blame yourself for this, cut yourself out of Peyton's life, and be the only person at your own pity party. Or, you can go forward with this. You can stop drinking all together, and be the best mother you can be to our children.

"I know you have it in you, Bella. I know that because I know you better than anyone. I know the person you can be, and I just want you to make the effort to be that person." I lifted Peyton, and placed her in Bella's arms. Bella didn't turn away from her, and she held her close. "Our daughter is sick, Bella. We are going to need each other, because things are going to be rough for a while. So are you going to be there with me 100%, or are you going to continue blaming yourself and potentially begin drinking again?"

She lifted Peyton a little, and kissed the top of her head. "I am going to be there. I am going to do this, Edward. As long as I have you, and our children, I will do this. I could never live with myself if I ever hurt one of my children again."

I kissed Peyton's forehead, and then Bella's. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you more, thank you for being here." She was crazy if she thought there was any other place I would be. I crawled into the bed beside her, and put my hand over Peyton's chest. I could feel her heartbeat under the palm of my hand, and I silently thanked God for each beat that I felt. Things were going to be tough, but I knew that if Bella sticks to her word, we will be okay. All of us will.

* * *

**So what do you think of the surprise chapter? Like I said, I felt bad for the cliffy, and this chapter is pretty long! There is a line in this chapter that is very important! Can you guess which one?**

**So I hope you appreciate the early update. The best way you can show your appreciation would be through a review :] Last chapter I didn't get much which made me a little sad, so a little more this chapter would be nice and greatly appreciated. **

**Next chapter will have a time jump…**

**Review please! **


	19. Chapter 18: Beat

*******Tissue Warning…maybe? *******

_**Chapter 18: Beat  
August 19, 2008**_

EPOV

"Say, wake up, Daddy." I heard Bella coo to someone as I was waking up. I was coming from a very deep sleep, my head felt heavy because of the deep sleep I was in, so I didn't open my eyes. "Come on, baby, wake up Daddy." I felt a tiny body being placed on my chest, and I could hear my little girl cooing on my chest.

"Da-eee" I smiled hearing her attempt at my name. She has been doing good lately with talking, and she was amazing me. I could feel her little hands braced on my chest.

"Daddy…wake up." Bella said, and I could feel her lips on my head.

I took my hands out from under my head, and put them around Peyton's back, but I kept my eyes shut. "I don't want to." I mumbled, and Bella laughed softly.

"It is lunch time, baby." My eyes immediately shot open, and I looked over at the clock on the bedside table; 12:12.

"Shit." I whispered, and I looked down at Peyton who giggled at me. "Excuse my language young lady." I said to her, and she giggled some more. I got up to the sitting position, and held Peyton close to my chest. I dropped my head, and kissed the top of her head. Bella was sitting on the side of the bed, and smiling at us with her beautiful smile. I leaned over and kissed her. "Sorry, my breath must smell like rotten socks."

Bella laughed and kissed me again. "You are so gross, and your breath does not smell like rotten socks. I think you are the only man on the earth who can sleep for 14 hours, and your breath doesn't smell too bad."

I pulled away from her and yawned. Peyton had her head against my chest, and she was pinching the fabric of my shirt between her fingers, always so calm. "Sorry about that, love. I didn't mean to sleep the whole day away."

She shrugged. "It's fine of course, you work hard, and this is your first week of vacation in a long time, I just woke you up because me and Liam are leaving soon." Oh yeah, today Bella was bringing Liam out for some one-on-one time with him. She did this every month with Liam, because a lot of attention was given to Peyton because of her condition, and we don't want Liam to feel left out, or any less loved, because that is just ridiculous.

"Where is he anyway?" I asked. This wake-up call was nice of course, but it would have been better if he was here too.

Bella ran her hand through Peyton's light blonde hair, she got that from me. I was born with light blonde hair, and it darkened up as I got older, so maybe that will happen for her. "He is getting ready to go, which is what I should be doing." She kissed Peyton's head, and then got up from the bed to get her clothes together. Once she had them all, she left and went to the bathroom, leaving me alone with Peyton. I lifted her under her arms, and brought her face in front of mine. Her big bluish-green eyes were shining. She was so beautiful; it could take your breath away. We can't walk out of the house with her without someone stopping us and commenting on how gorgeous she was. This of course made me proud, but it also scared the shit out of me. Guys pining after my daughter made me so incredibly angry.

You would think by looking at her that she was as healthy as they could come, which was wrong of course. My baby was very sick. She is just about 11 months now, and we have made 18 trips to the hospital in the course of her life. These trips to the hospital haven't been too serious. She has had cyanosis many times, that made up about 15 of our visits. The doctors pretty much told us to bring her in whenever it happened, and they would just put her on oxygen for a little while until her color came back. Those visits were hard on both Bella and myself. Sometimes she got so blue, and she looked so sick. Her tiny fingernails and toenails even sometimes looked purple, and it was just horrible. And her lips…I don't like thinking about it.

The other three times were when she refused to eat for the whole day. We had to bring her in, and they would put her on an IV for a couple of hours. The doctors were trying to put off the surgery for as long as they can, and I always have dreams of it never having to happen. Open heart surgery is dangerous for people my age; never mind my not even one year old daughter. She was small for her age too, which made it even worse.

I brought her face closer to mine and kissed her nose. Her little nose scrunched and she smiled big. "Hey pretty girl, can you give Daddy a kiss?" She giggled, put her tiny little hands on the sides of my cheeks, and brought her mouth to my nose. She wasn't exactly kissing me, more like just getting her slobber all over my nose, but it was the cutest thing; this was our thing. I would kiss her nose, and then she would 'kiss' mine. I laughed and pulled her away. "Thank you, Princess." She giggled and rested her head on my shoulder. That was another symptom of Tetralogy of Fallot, she got tired often and easily.

I looked up when I heard Bella walking down the hall, and she had Liam on her back. "Good morning, Daddy!" He said happily. Peyton's head shot up from my shoulder, and she looked over at Liam. As soon as she saw him she started squealing and kicking her arms and legs. Peyton wasn't a Momma's girl, or a Daddy's girl; she was a Liam's girl. She was amazed by him and him by her. Whenever he was in the room, she would get all giggly and happy. She would cry when he left for school in the morning, it was really beautiful to see. They were already so close.

"Good morning, buddy. Are you all ready to go?"

Bella put him down on the bed. "Yup! Me and Mommy are leaving now!"

"Peyton has already had her meds today, so just give her her second dose after she finishes eating." Bella tells me, and she takes Peyton from my arms to say bye to her. Liam crawled in my lap and hugged me around my neck.

"I helped Mommy give Peyton her medicine. So that means she won't get sick again…right?" He whispered.

"I hope not, son." I kissed the side of his head, and he crawled off of my lap and grabbed Bella's shirt. Bella was kissing Peyton's head repeatedly.

"Goodbye, baby girl. Be good for Daddy, and have fun." She kissed her cheek before handing her back to me. Peyton began to fuss and reach over to Bella and Liam. This didn't really hurt my feelings, because she did the same when I left. She was the happiest when all of us were together. She was already so loving...my little angel.

"Don't cry, Peyton! We will be back, just play with Daddy!" Liam said. He kissed Peyton on her forehead, and she started to calm down. She turned herself in my arms, and rested her head on my shoulder.

"When should she be hungry?" I asked as I rubbed Peyton's back.

"She ate about an hour ago, so in a couple of hours just feed her the jar of bananas and some formula. It's already in the fridge for her. She looks like she will probably take her second nap of the day." She said, and sighed. Peyton slept a lot. We talked about it with the doctor, and he said it wasn't a bad thing, and it was only a side effect of the Tetralogy of Fallot. I looked down at her little face on my shoulder, and saw her eyes getting droopy.

"Okay, well you two have fun." I said. Bella leaned over and kissed me, and walked out with Liam. I looked back down at Peyton, and her eyes were completely closed now. I lightly kissed the top of her head, and moved to get up from the bed to lay her down in her crib, but she opened her eyes, and began to whimper. I settled back down on the bed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I will stay put." I whispered, and she sighed in contentment. It was silent in the room except for Peyton's deep breaths as she got into a deeper sleep. I could feel her little heart beating against my chest. That feeling is one that I will forever be thankful to feel. I don't think people really appreciate each and every beat of their heart. I know I didn't. But now I appreciate each of mine, and those of my family's.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hello, Edward." I heard my Mom say. I cradled the phone between my ear and shoulder, and took a bite of my sandwich.

"Hey, Mom, how are you doing this fine day?"

"Are you eating while on the phone, Edward Cullen?"

I took another bite of my sandwich. "Yeah."

"That is rude."

"Well you were the one who called me while I was trying to have lunch. I promise I mean no disrespect after each and every bite I take while talking to you."

She chuckled. "Fine, I'll let it slide. So how are you enjoying your vacation so far?"

"It's great. I mean I slept pretty late today, so that felt good. Bella is out with Liam, and I am home with Peyton."

"And how is that beautiful baby?" I could hear the admiration in her voice; Peyton had that effect on everyone.

"She is good, just napping right now."

"Aw, she's such a sweetheart! I miss those two, so I was actually calling to see if the four of you would come over for dinner tomorrow."

"Uh…yeah, I will just double check with Bella, but I am sure it would be fine."

"Great! Well I was thinking about making a full turkey dinner! I know you like turkey dinners, honey…" I heard Peyton laughing on the baby monitor; I put my sandwich down on my plate.

"Hey listen, Mom, Peyton just got up, so I will call you back later, okay?"

"Oh of course, honey. Be sure to give that baby a kiss for me!"

"I will, bye!" I put the phone down on the table, and jogged up the stairs two at a time to go get my baby. She was laughing uncontrollably, and I was laughing on my way upstairs. What could she be laughing at? I stopped at the front of her door, and I could see her through the bars of her crib. She was lying on her back, and she had her purple blanket over her head. She quickly took the blanket off over her head, and started laughing. I smiled; she stopped laughing, and put the blanket back over her head. I walked quickly to her crib, and I said "Boo!" when she took the blanket back down.

"Ahhh!" She screamed and laughed. She was kicking her little feet in excitement, and put the blanket back over her head again. She brought the blanket down once more, and she screamed again when she saw me. She was laughing, and we kept it going for at least 10 more minutes before she finally got bored of it. I picked her up out of the crib, kissed her cheeks, and held her on my waist.

"Oh, I think I need to change your diaper, princess. We got a soggy situation." She giggled even though she had no idea what she was talking about, and it was nice seeing her in a happy, hyper mood. Her condition tends to wear her down a lot, so when she is like this, it is great to see. I brought her over to the changing table, and began to change her diaper. Every time I change one of my kid's diapers, it reminds me of how far I have come since before I had children. I used to be horrible with them…

_~Flashback~_

_**15 Years Old**_

"_Oh Edward, isn't he such a cutie?" Esme asked as she bounced little Jeremy on her hip. Esme volunteered to babysit one of Carlisle's co-worker's baby for the night. Jeremy was one, and he was already walking and all over the place. _

"_So cute." Edward deadpanned his attention fully on the video games. _

"_Oh Edward, why don't you find something else to do, you have been glued to that thing for hours now." She placed Jeremy on the floor, and he started toddling around the living room. _

_Edward looked out the window that gave him a view of Bella's house, and saw Renee's car in the driveway. He sighed; he couldn't go over there when she was home, and Bella isn't allowed to leave when she is home. "There is nothing else to do." Emmett and Alice were off at football and cheer camp, leaving Edward home alone bored all day whenever he wasn't with Bella. Jeremy walked over to Edward and tapped him on the knee. Edward looked over at the little boy, and he gave him a big smile, and some drool started falling from his mouth and onto Edward's pajama pants. "Ugh! Mom! Get it away from me!" He yelled, and inched away from the confused baby. _

"_Edward! Don't talk about him like that! I raised you better than that." She said, and went over to pick up Jeremy._

"_Sorry, I just don't really like kids that much, Ma." _

"_So what are you going to do when you have kids of your own?" _

"_Easy. I won't have kids. And for some crazy reason I create an offspring, I would like it, because it would be awesome because I am their father." He shrugged his shoulders, and continued playing his video game. _

_Esme laughed. "You are such a teenage boy." She walked out of the room with Jeremy. Edward continued playing his video game, and then the phone rang. Esme answered it, and seconds later she came running back in the room while still holding Jeremy. "Edward! I need your help."_

"_What?" _

"_You need to watch Jeremy for me." _

_He put the remote down. "Are you serious?" _

"_Of course I am! I need to go stop at the office, there has been a fire! I need to sort some things out right now. Can you please? I will only be about two hours I promise." _

_Edward really did not want to take care of the baby, but he also knew he should help his Mom out. "Fine." Esme put Jeremy down, and ran over to Edward. She grabbed him by both of his cheeks and kissed him on the forehead. _

"_Thank you, thank you! I love you!" She started getting her shoes and coat on while spewing off instructions to Edward on what to do for Jeremy while she was gone. She left immediately after that leaving Edward home alone with the baby. He got up from the couch, and walked up to Jeremy who was sitting on the floor with the TV remote in his hands. _

"_So you are good over here?" Edward asked. The baby just looked up at Edward, and tilted his head to the side. He smiled up at Edward. "Awkward. Alright I will just be over here…uh…don't poop on the rug." Edward started to walk away from Jeremy, and then the baby started screaming and crying. Edward turned around quickly. "What's the matter?" Jeremy continued to cry and Edward didn't know what to do. He ran over to the window, and it was like a gift from God, he saw Renee pulling out of the driveway. He turned to a still screaming Jeremy. "Uh…hold on, kid." He ran to get the phone, and dialed Bella's number. _

"_Hello?" Her voice caused Edward to pause a second from panicking. She has been crying. _

"_Bella? What's wrong?" _

"_That doesn't matter now, why do I hear a baby crying." _

"_That's why I called! Can you come over here and contain this! I don't know what the fuck to do!" Bella laughed, and then sniffled, reminding Edward again that she has been crying. _

"_I'll be right there." She hung up after that, and Edward walked back over to Jeremy who was still crying. Edward bent down, and picked Jeremy up under his arms. He held him arms length away and Jeremy continued to cry. Edward heard the front door open and Bella walked in. Edward knew over the phone that she had been crying, but seeing her just solidified it for him. She had tear tracks on her flushed face. _

"_Here." Edward said, and passed Jeremy over to Bella. _

"_Aww…he's so cute!" She said as she took the screaming baby out of Edward's arms. Jeremy stopped crying when Bella had him and Bella wiped the tears off of his face. _

"_Are you serious, kid?" Edward said to Jeremy. _

_Bella laughed. "I guess I am just better than you." Bella said and stuck her tongue out at Edward jokingly. Edward was amazed in that moment how she was able to put a smile on after something obviously happened at her house to make her cry. "And I think he needs a diaper change." _

"_I will pay you 50 bucks if you will do that, Bella. I will do your laundry for…ever." _

_Bella laughed. "How about I do it for free?" _

"_You know, I think you may be a candidate for sainthood Ms. Swan." _

_She laughed. "Hardly. You are just the only person that can get me to smile today, and I owe you big time." Edward's face fell, and wrapped his arm around Bella's waist, and squeezed lightly. "Ow." Bella said, and maneuvered out of his arms. _

"_What did she do to you, Bella?" He went to go lift her shirt, but she moved away. _

"_We can talk about it later, let me just go change his diaper." _

* * *

_Bella placed a sleeping Jeremy on the loveseat. He was lying on his side, and Bella put pillows in front of him so he wouldn't roll off the couch. She kissed his forehead, and joined Edward on the couch. She laid back on the arm of the couch, and put her bare feet on Edward lap. "You should open a daycare center or some shit." Edward said, and Bella laughed. _

"_I'm not really that great, Edward. I changed his diaper, I played with him, and I rocked him to sleep. It's not a big deal." _

"_It's more than I would have done." Bella smiled, and looked absently at the TV, it was clear she wasn't really paying attention. "Hey." Edward said softly and Bella looked at him. "What happened at home?" _

_Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Supposedly I was trying to steal her boyfriend." She rolled her eyes. _

"_What the hell?" _

"_Yeah, I know. She had some guy over from last night. He came down stairs hung over and as high as a kite this morning, and I was making waffles for myself, and just to be nice, I offered him some." _

"_Why would you do that, Bella? The guy was obviously a douche bag if he was with your Mom." _

_Bella reached over to hit him lightly on the arm. "Hey, you don't know that. You shouldn't judge someone by the people they associate themselves with. While he was eating, he was telling me about a daughter he has that is older than me. She was taken away from him when she was just seven years old. Sure he has made some bad choices, but he is still a person and has feelings. You should never disregard those feelings in a person, Edward. You don't know their life." _

_Edward shook his head in disbelief. "Saint, I tell you." _

_Bella chuckled. "Delusional, I tell you." Edward snorted. "So yeah, she thought that by me making him waffles meant I was trying to get in his pants. He left, and she started screaming at me. You know, the usual, she hates me, wishes I was never born, ashamed that I'm her daughter, wishing I was de-"_

"_Stop!" Edward cut in, holding a hand over his stomach, trying to stop the sick feeling there. "I get it." _

"_Sorry. And then she pushed me to the ground and kicked me in my side. You know how she loves to beat me up." _

"_Let me see it." Edward said. Bella lifted her t-shirt slightly to reveal the dark bruise on her side. Edward leaned over, and kissed the heated skin lightly. He has been doing this so much over the years, it became normal to them. _

"_Thank you." Bella whispered. Edward reached over, and grabbed her hand. He pulled her to him, and she rested against his side. They stayed that way watching TV while Jeremy slept. After only about a half an hour, they looked over when they saw a head pop up from the loveseat. Bella uncurled herself from Edward's side, and walked over to Jeremy. "Hey, cutie." She said. Jeremy lifted his hands for Bella and he rested his sleepy head on her shoulder as she walked over to sit next to Edward. She sat Jeremy in her lap, and he rubbed his eyes, his cheek all red from the couch. "Come on, Edward. You have to admit he is pretty cute." _

_Edward shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so." _

"_Do you want to hold him?" Edward tensed, and Bella laughed. "Come on, Edward. He just woke up, he is still pretty sleepy, so he probably won't even squirm that much." Edward still looked hesitant. Bella turned Jeremy towards Edward. "Just look at that face." She said in a baby voice, and kissed Jeremy's cheek. "How can you say no to that face?" _

_Edward huffed, but lifted his arms. "Fine." He picked up Jeremy, and placed him on his lap; Jeremy looked up at Edward, and titled his head to the side. "Hello, Jeremy." _

_Bella laughed. "You are so formal with him." _

"_What do you want me to do? Talk baby talk to him? Yeah, I don't think so." _

_Bella laughed. "Well he isn't crying yet, so I think he likes you." _

_Edward shrugged, and looked back at Jeremy who was studying Edward. They were in a sort of staring contest, when Jeremy did something to stop the game, and make him champion. _

_He threw up all over Edward. _

"_Oh fuck off!" _

_~End Flashback~ _

Now I know not to swear in front of small children like that anymore. With Liam, and even now with Peyton, I didn't care if they threw up on me. I don't know about all other men, but having a kid really changes your feeling about kids in general. I finished putting Peyton's diaper on, and lifted her little pink pants up. "Are you hungry, beautiful."

"Mmm…" She said, and nodded her head. I kissed her cheek, and walked down the stairs with her. I walked into the kitchen, and got her jar of bananas and her formula from the fridge. I placed the bottle in the bottle warmer, and waited for it to be done. I took the jar and bottle with me and Peyton to the living room.

"Oh shoot, baby. I forgot a spoon." I set her down standing against the table. She can't walk yet, but she was able to stand up if she was holding onto something. "I will be right back." I ran quickly into the kitchen, grabbed a baby spoon from the drawer, and ran back.

I dropped the spoon.

Peyton was lying on the floor.

"Peyton!" I yelled. I can't really explain the thought process of that moment. I knew I experienced some sort of adrenaline rush. I ran right over to her. I picked her up in my arms. She was limp, so limp. I ran to the phone, called 911, they were on their way. I laid her down on the floor, and began CPR.

One time.

Two times.

Three times.

She's breathing.

She wakes up, but she is taking such deep breaths. She is struggling to breathe. Her eyes are so scared, more scared than any not-even-one-year old should look. She begins crying, so I pick her up in my arms. I am still on the floor, but I hold her close to my chest. Her cries are loud, her breaths are short and rapid, but I can still feel that heart in her chest beating against mine.

"You're going to be okay, sweetheart. You have to be okay."

* * *

I run in the hospital, holding Peyton's tiny hand in mine. She is laying on the stretcher as paramedics wheel her in. I called Bella in the ambulance, and she cried instantly. Her and Liam were just about done with their day, so she was going to drop him off at Emmett's and come straight to the hospital. Peyton was still crying, but she had a breathing machine on her face to help with her breathing. The paramedics were spouting off medical terms the whole time, but I didn't understand anything, I just had my attention on Peyton. We were rushing down the hallway, and there were two doctors already waiting at the door of a room; Dr. Cooper and another man.

Dr. Cooper took over for one of the paramedics, and looked at me. He looked nervous, and that didn't help my situation. "Edward, I am going to need you to wait out here."

"What? No! I can't just leave her alone."

"She will be fine, you can wait right outside the door, I will come get you when we figure out what is wrong." I nodded my head; I didn't want to waste time.

I leaned forward and kissed Peyton's forehead. "Daddy loves you, princess. I will be right out here." I kissed her forehead again, before standing up. They wheeled her in, and I let go of her hand.

The room was a room in the ER. There were people all over the hallway, but they were nothing to me right now. I leaned my back against the wall. My legs gave out, and I slid down it. It was like now that I didn't have her little hand in mine, or her in my sight, everything came together; what just happened to my baby. She fainted. My 11-month old daughter just _fainted._ She couldn't breathe, she was getting cyanosis again. She could have…died. When was this going to end? When was someone going to spare my beautiful daughter from all this suffering?

I put both of my hands in my hair and pulled. The tears were already falling, and my shoulders shook with each sob. This was all too much. I knew people were staring, I heard them whisper, but that just doesn't matter to a person when they realize they came so close to losing their child. My daughter. The person who was one of the reasons I was living. One of the people that puts the beat in my heart.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, but it was a man's hand. His voice was muffled in my ears. I think he is asking me if I want to move to another room, or another area. I don't know, I don't care. I am not moving from my spot. I am already too far away from her. Soon that hand on my back leaves.

"Edward!" That was the only voice that would get a reaction out of me at this moment.

My head shot up, and I saw her down the hall. "Bella." I got up from the ground, and she ran at me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I held on to me wife. Her scent alone made me think a little clearer, but she was my shoulder to cry on right now. I was still sobbing, and she was crying with me. "Shh, baby. She is going to be fine. There is no other option." She turned her head, and kissed me on the cheek. I continued to cry, I needed to get this out, and Bella was right there to hold me together. She was my savior. _My _Bella was here, and she has been for a long time now. I don't know what I would do if she wasn't here right now.

I heard the door open behind me, and I lifted my head from Bella's shoulder. Dr. Cooper was out now, and he took his gloves off. His face said it all, it wasn't good.

"How is she?" Bella asked.

"She is stable now, but I am afraid she is getting worse." Bella held onto me from the side, and she let out a sob. I was her shoulder to cry on now; I need to stay strong from now on. I had my time to break down, and as a husband to Bella, and a father to Peyton, I need to hold it together. "I think going along with the surgery right now will be the best bet."

Surgery. Open heart surgery on our baby. She's so little. So innocent.

"When?" I asked.

"I would say within the next half hour. I can have my staff start setting up now, and we will get started right away." I looked to Bella. We will need to sign off on this of course. Of course it scared me half to death to agree to have doctors perform surgery on my daughter, but I knew not doing so would only be worse. "May I just say that doing the surgery will be in your daughter's best interest. There is always the risk of death during a surgery, but things have gotten better over the years, and I will do everything I can to save your daughter. Her chances will be better with the surgery. I promise you that."

"Okay." Bella and I said at the same time.

"Alright, well you two can go in and see her for now, and we will begin to prepare her in a couple of minutes." We nodded our heads. "You are making the right decision."

He walked away, and me and Bella walked into the room. Peyton was lying on small bed. She had an IV in her arm, a breathing mask over her little face, and she was hooked up to the heart monitor. As we approached her, we saw that she was indeed awake; she was just too weak to be squirming in that bed right now or trying to get up. Bella began crying when she saw her, and she kissed the top of her head repeatedly.

"My poor baby." Bella choked out. "Mommy loves you so much, Peyton. Mommy and Daddy are here. The doctors are going to make you feel better, okay sweetie?" Peyton had her eyes on Bella, and we could hear a small whimper leave her mouth over the beeping of the heart monitor. That one little whimper caused an enormous amount of pain through my chest. I ran my hand over the little amount of blonde hair she had on her head, and held her small hand in my other. "Shh…baby it will all be okay. Everything is going to be okay."

"Your Mom is right, beautiful. You are so strong, you will be okay." I said softly. She moved her head to the side to look at me. "Don't be scared, princess." I continued running my hand through her hair, and she just stared at me. Her eyes looked so old, and scared that it nearly broke my heart. Even as small and young as she was, she knew on some level that something was wrong. She moved her head to the other side to look at Bella. Bella smiled softly. She turned her head to look at me. I gave her a small smile. She looked up at the ceiling.

A single tear fell from her eye and down her little face.

* * *

_One hour…_

_Two hours…_

_Three hours…_

Still no word.

_Four hours…_

_Five hours…_

Waiting.

Six hours…

"Parents of Peyton Cullen?" A nurse says from the desk. Bella and I shoot up from the couch we were curled up on. Both of us leaning on each other for the support while our daughter had her first ever surgery before she even turned one. We called the family, but we told them to just stay at home, Liam was staying with Rose and Emmett.

"We are her parents." Bella said as we approached the desk.

"You can wait in that room right over there. Dr. Cooper will be out shortly to explain how everything went." Bella and I both went quickly to the room, holding on tightly to each other's hands. We haven't talked much this whole time. We didn't have to talk about what we were feeling or our concerns because they were all one and the same. We sat down on the chairs in the room we were directed too, and Bella rested her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her. I wouldn't have been able to do this without her.

The door opened, and in walked Dr. Cooper; he was smiling. I never thought I would say this about another man, but his smile was the most beautiful thing I have seen at that moment. That smile was the answer to my prayers. We both got up. "How is she?" Bella asked.

"She is perfect. The surgery went very well. She did arrest at one point, but you have one strong daughter, Edward and Bella. She was really a trooper. She is in the ICU right now, just to keep an eye on her, and for the anesthesia to wear off, but we were able to fix the problem, and she is just….wow…you have a strong girl."

Bella squealed, and then she was in my arms. I was in shock. I wanted to scream for joy, I wanted to cry, I wanted to hug Dr. Cooper, I wanted to…I don't know, I was so happy and relieved, I didn't know what to do with myself. Bella began crying against my shoulder, and I held her close. I kissed the top of her head, and I looked up at Dr. Cooper over her shoulder. "Thank you." I said with the most sincerity. My voice cracked at the end, and a tear fell from my eye.

She was going to be okay.

* * *

Bella and I sat on either side of Peyton's bed. She was hooked up to a lot of machines, and the big bandage around her chest was hard for me to see, but she was going to be okay. I knew this didn't mean everything will be absolutely perfect for Peyton. She will still have limitations in her life, she will live with the scar on her chest for the rest of her life, but she was going to be okay, she was going to live. I just know it. Bella and I just stared at her. I was listening to the heart monitor beeping beside me, and I loved the sound.

Soon, she opened her eyes slowly. Bella gasped softly, and got in front of her so Peyton could see her. "Hello, baby. You did such a good job, angel. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you." She bent over and kissed the top of her head.

"Yes we are, princess. Our strong girl." I said. Peyton looked over at me, and then back at Bella.

"You are so important to us, sweetheart. We love you sweetheart, and so does Liam, he will be here tomorrow." A tear fell from my eye when Peyton smiled; it was a small smile, barely even there really, but it still affected me so much. Hooked up to all these machines, and right after open heart surgery, my baby was smiling. She beat this, she was so strong.

She was going to be okay, so that means all of the rest of us will.

* * *

**Whew, I was glad I could get this out by Monday, and now I am back on schedule! I hope you guys liked this update, I know it was a sad chapter, but I tried to add some sweet moments, and I think Peyton's strength was enough to kind of lift your spirits...well I hope it was.**

**Next chapter will be another time jump. If you notice, this chapter is in 2008, and the prologue is set in 2010, so you know, we are getting closer! And I will post pictures of Liam and Peyton when the prologue comes! Or do you want them earlier? Let me know! **

**Review please :]**

**Until Friday….**


	20. Chapter 19: Wakeup

_**Chapter 19: Wakeup  
June 20, 2009**_

EPOV

"I don't want you to go." Bella mumbled against my shoulder. I was leaning down to hug her while she was lying down on the bed. It was 5:30 am, and I needed to go to work. Early Saturday morning meetings were a regular occurrence now. I was getting close to getting that promotion that I have been waiting for so long for now. Of course it sucked working on Saturdays, but I was usually home by lunch time, so it wasn't so bad, but today it sucked even more because it was my birthday. My 30th birthday to be exact.

I chuckled and kissed the side of Bella's face. "I don't want to go either love, but I have to work."

"But it's your birthday!"

"It's just another day, Bella." I got up because my back was hurting from bending over, and Bella kept her hold around my neck, so I ended up bringing her up along with me, and we were holding each other while sitting at the edge of the bed.

"It's not just another day! My beautiful husband is another decade older!"

"Ugh, it sounds so bad when you say it like that." I pulled away from her far enough to kiss her lips.

"Face it, baby. You're getting old." I kissed her again and pinched her side. She squealed and squirmed away from me, but I still had my hold on her. I didn't want to let go.

"You know, you are going to be 30 in a couple of months so…" I stuck my tongue out at her, and she laughed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. You are pretty hot for a 30 year old, though. Does that make you feel better?"

I laughed and kissed her again. "A little, but I know something else that could bring my spirits up." I lifted my eyebrows suggestively, and she laughed and kissed me.

"Mmm...definitely later. You need to get to work old man." I pinched her sides again, causing her to squeal and laugh. I know it has been a long time since she has been drinking, but I still appreciate every single moment that she is like this. I love seeing her playful, carefree, smiling, laughing, and just happy while she is still herself. Sure she has her moments when she is pretty down, but I think everyone has those days. I know I do. We argue sometimes, but it is nothing like when she is drunk. We haven't really been talking about her drinking for a while, and I hope it is a topic we will never have to discuss again.

She kissed me again. "Ugh, stop kissing me woman! I will never get out of this house."

"Just one more time." She kissed me once more, and then kissed my forehead. "I love you, Edward. Don't stress yourself out too much on your birthday."

"I love you too, beautiful. Have a good day." I kissed her forehead, and got up off the bed. I walked out of the room, and stopped at Peyton's rooms along the way. She was sleeping on her stomach in her crib. Her blonde hair was longer now, and some of it was in her face. I moved it away, and kissed the side of her head. She sighed in her sleep, and I just had to kiss her again.

When I left Peyton's room, I then walked into Liam's. He was sleeping like he usually did, with his hands behind his head, and I placed a kiss on his head as well. I hate leaving for work in the morning, there was just too much here for me to leave behind even though it is just for a couple of hours.

* * *

I walked toward my office, and saw Karen wasn't here yet…weird. I opened the door to my office, and gasped when I saw my office filled with…pink balloons. I laughed when I saw them, because I knew exactly who they were from.

"Happy birthday, Boss!" Karen yelled from behind me, she was hiding behind the door. She gave me a quick hug.

"Thanks Karen. Pink though?" I said, referring to the balloons all around my office.

"Hell yeah. You always came off as a man who loves pink."

I shook my head. "You are insane."

"Yeah, I've heard it all before."

"Well good thing I am not going to be in here for too long, I can barely walk to my desk. But this is really cool, Karen. Thank you."

She patted my back. "No problem. And I guess you can bring some home to your baby?"

"Yeah I am sure she will love some, now Liam on the other hand, I don't think he is a pink kind of guy." I chuckled, and so did Karen. Liam had a strong hatred for the color pink. Me and Bella try to explain to him that there isn't anything necessarily bad about a boy liking the color pink, but he was insistent on it. If he would reach in the toy box and accidentally pick up one of Peyton's pink ponies or something, he would freak out and throw it across the room.

"Well good thing I got three blue ones then!" Karen said."They are in my car."

"Okay, well I will have to get them later though, because the meeting starts soon."

"Alright, have fun!" Yeah, _fun._

I shut down my laptop, and disconnected it from the projector. The client was gone, and we were able to close the deal. Mitchell was talking to one of the new guys, and I just couldn't wait to get home. It was about 11 now, so I will be home just in time for lunch.

"Edward." Mitchell called; he came up to me with a smile on. "Good job today as usual."

"Thank you, sir."

"I have a proposition for you, Edward. Maybe you will think of it as my birthday present to you."

Hmm…where is he going with this? "Okay…"

"Well we have a conference coming up and it will take place in New York City, and I would like you to come join me." New York City? I have never been there. "It is a weeklong trip, and we will pay for everything."

A week long? That would be horrible. I couldn't imagine being away from my kids for a day, never mind a week, and Bella of course. "When is it?"

"The end of September, we would leave on the 27th." Okay, so I wouldn't miss Bella or Peyton's birthdays, but could I really do this? I didn't have time to deliberate in my head because the door flew open, and a frantic looking Karen came in.

"Edward!" She ran between me and Mitchell, and handed me my cell phone. "You need to call home. I just talked to your sister, and she said something was wrong; it's an emergency."

I grabbed the phone for Karen with an already shaking hand. "Excuse me, sir." I said to Mitchell without even really looking at him.

"Of course, Edward." He said, and I walked out of the room and into the hallway. I dialed my house number, because Karen said to call home. The phone didn't even finish ringing once before Alice answered.

"Edward! Is that you?" She asked hysterically.

"Yes, Alice, what happened?"

"You need to come home, like now." I was already practically running back to my office when she said that. "Jasper and I took Bella and the kids to the mall to get stuff for your birthday party tonight, and I bet you can guess who we saw there."

Renee.

"Fuck! How is Bella? The kids? They are alright right?" I took the stairs instead of an elevator because I knew I wouldn't be able to stand still for that long right now.

"The kids are fine, but Bella is not to great right now. I drove her home, and she was like a stone on the way here. She is in her room now, but she is in a bad way right now, Edward. You need to get here before she does something she will surely regret."

Fucking Renee… "I'll be there in 20 minutes, just make sure Bella does not leave that house." She agreed, and I hung up with her. I got my keys from my office, batting away the balloons on my way. I picked up my phone and texted Karen quickly, asking her to bring my laptop and papers up because I forgot them. I ran down the steps once again, and made it to my car in no time. I got out of my parking spot so fast, and I was heading down the street and onto the highway. I needed to get to Bella. I knew the effect Renee had on Bella. I didn't need to know the details to know she was a bitch to Bella; that was just how it was unfortunately. We haven't seen Renee in a while, thankfully, but her sudden appearance will probably have a bad effect on Bella if I didn't try and help her. I didn't want a repeat of all the other times Renee appeared again, and I lost my Bella even though she was right in front of me. I still remember the first time it happened, even though I wish I would forget…

_~Flashback~ _

_**19 Years Old**_

"_So are you going to go on rides with me?" Edward asked Bella as they were walking hand-in-hand down the aisles of the fair. There were venders selling all kinds of things, and of course the booths with the games that were most likely rigged. There were little kids with their parents with their smiling faces painted. The atmosphere was fun and carefree, as is the atmosphere at most carnivals. _

_Bella laughed. "Edward, do you not remember the first carnival we went to together? I had to beg you to go on the ferris wheel with me. And then when we did go on, you cried." Edward let go of Bella's hand, and wrapped it around her waist and pinched her side lightly. Bella laughed, and tried to get out of his grasp._

"_I was five, Bella." Bella ducked under Edward's arm, and she ended up behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders to stop him. She braced herself on his shoulders, and jumped up on his back. He held her legs up on his sides, and she kept a good grip around his neck. Edward began walking again, and they got stares from other people, some awing at the couple. _

_Bella turned her head and kissed Edward's cheek. "I know you were. That's why you didn't go on any other rides. Your Dad went on the rides with me while you stood with your Mom." Edward smiled, but sighed wistfully. He missed his parents every single day. Bella kissed his cheek again. "No sadness, baby."_

"_I'm sorry." _

"_It's okay, just keep walking and buy your fiancé some fried dough, and win me a stuffed animal damn it!" _

_Edward laughed. "Anything for my beautiful and bossy fiancé." He walked her over to the fried dough stand, and bought her one and himself one. Bella doused hers in ridiculous amounts of sugar and Edward shook his head in disbelief. They sat down at one of the picnic tables and ate their fried dough. They laughed, teased each other, and were in their own little bubble on the old wooden picnic table. _

"_You done?" Bella asked. Edward nodded his head. "Okay! Let's go so you can win me something!" They got up and threw their paper plates in the garbage. _

"_Uh…what if I can't?" Edward asked as Bella grabbed his hand and they went to find a game for him to play. _

"_Then I will laugh at you." _

"_Oh, well I love you too, Bella." Edward said sarcastically. Bella laughed, and then all of a sudden stopped dead in her tracks like she saw a ghost. "Hey, what is it, love?" Edward looked in the direction of where Bella was looking, but couldn't see anything that he thought would cause Bella to react the way she was. _

"_We need to leave." Bella turned with Edward, and dragged him along with her. _

"_Why?" Bella didn't answer, but just kept on walking. "Bella, stop. Bella the exit is that way, and so is our car." Edward said, pointing in the direction that they were walking in before, and the direction of where Bella was just looking. _

"_Fuck." Bella mumbled underneath her breath. She walked back in that direction, and pulled Edward with her. She had a determined look on her face, so Edward knew she wasn't going to answer him now. They exited the fair fine, and right when they were approaching their car, Edward understood what Bella was talking about and what she saw. Renee was waiting for her at their car with a man, a disgusting and evil smile on her face. Bella stopped dead in her tracks. "No." She said so low that only Edward could hear her. He squeezed her hand to let her know that he was there. He knew this wouldn't end well. _

_Renee walked towards them. "Well if it isn't my bastard child." Bella didn't say anything. _

"_Could you please leave her alone?" Edward said. _

"_Shut the fuck up, man. Don't talk to my girl that way." The man said. _

"_Don't talk to my fiancé like that!" Bella said. Edward loved that Bella was so protective of him, but he didn't like how she was doing it right now. He didn't want to say anything now though, because he didn't want Renee to have an opportunity to make fun of Bella or something. _

_Renee laughed. "Don't listen to her, sugar, she is insignificant in so many ways." She said to the man, and then she turned to Bella. "You know, I thought you were dead, but here you stand. It's too bad really."_

_Edward tensed, but Bella squeezed his hand, almost like she was trying to comfort him and tell him it was okay. For some reason Edward didn't fully understand; that made him mad. He was getting frustrated with Bella because she was saying nothing to defend herself. _

"_We are leaving." Edward said through gritted teeth, and made a move to get past Renee, but the guy blocked them. _

"_Why so eager to leave? I just want to talk to my daughter." Edward stopped so he wouldn't cause a scene. He looked over at Bella who had her eyes on the ground, and he could see she was trying not to cry, which made him even madder. "Hey Bella, guess who I saw today at this very fair…" Bella stayed silent. "Come on, answer me. Don't tell me you got even stupider."_

"_Who?" Bella said in a small voice. _

"_Your father! I saw him, he said hi to me, and he was with his other daughter. You know the one he actually wanted, and loves."_

"_Shut the hell up!" Edward yelled. "Enough of this, we are leaving."_

_Edward walked and tried to get past Renee and the guy, but they blocked them from leaving once again. "Oh, Edwin, stop trying to act like you have the balls to stand up to anyone." _

"_I will stand up for Bella when you are being a heartless monster towards her." _

"_I am offended by that statement. Didn't your parents ever teach you to respect your elders? Oh wait, never mind. They didn't because they are dead and probably rotting in hell as we speak." _

"_You fucking bitch." Bella finally spoke up. She let go of Edward's hand, and went to lunge for Renee, but Edward held her back. "Let me go, Edward!" Bella yelled, trying to get out of his grasp as Renee just laughed. _

"_No, Bella, stop it, she is not worth it, love. Stop." Edward said while struggling to hold her back._

_Bella continued fighting to get away from Edward, and to hit Renee, but she lost all the fight in her when tears started falling from her face. "I better not hear you say something to him like that again or I will kill you! I will kill you!" Renee started laughing even more. "You don't know a fucking thing about him, if you want to pick on someone, pick on me but leave him alone or I swear to God…" _

"_Okay, Edwin, you and that thing can leave now; I am starting to get a headache." Renee said. Edward grabbed Bella by her waist, and carried her to the car. She was still trying to get out of his arms to get to Renee, but Edward would not let go. _

_Edward opened the passenger door, and tried to get her in, but Renee was laughing hysterically behind them, and it only made Bella even madder. "Bella! Get in the fucking car!" Edward yelled. He was getting mad with the whole situation, because he just wanted to get away from Renee, and Bella was not helping that situation. Bella finally stopped and got in the car. Edward slammed the door, and walked on to the driver's side. He pulled out of the parking spot, and sped off. _

"_There was no need to yell at me, Edward. Don't you think I got enough from my mother?" She said with a raised voice. _

"_Well you really piss me off sometimes Bella when it comes to her." Edward yelled. _

"_Oh I piss you off? Really? You're an ass." _

"_Don't talk to me right now, Bella. I'm not in the mood." _

"_Oh yeah, you are being mature." _

"_Shut up, Bella." Bella just scoffed, and stopped talking. Both of them were furious beyond belief. The tension in the car was thick and both Edward and Bella could feel the uncomfortable air around them. Being mad at each other was not something they were used to. They fought every once in a while, but not very often. Edward pulled up to their apartment and they both got out of the car as soon as the car stopped and slammed their doors shut. Edward walked ahead of Bella because he had the keys. They walked up the steps silently; the only sound was their feet stomping on the stairs. Edward walked straight for the kitchen when they entered the apartment. He grabbed a bottle of water because he had a feeling there would be a lot of yelling going on._

"_So I piss you off, huh?" Bella asked; one hand on the counter and the other on her hip._

"_Yes, you do, when it comes to your mother." _

"_And what does that mean exactly?" _

_Edward took a sip of his water, and put it on the counter. "You just let her walk all over you. She says some of the most disgusting things to you and you just take it! You don't say anything to defend yourself! Do you have any self-preservation at all?"_

"_I don't know, but I don't want to say anything to get her even madder at me!" _

"_But you have no problem screaming at her and lunging at her when she says something about me?" Edward yelled. He walked closer to Bella so he was only a foot away from her face. _

"_That's different." Bella wasn't yelling; she was just listening to everything Edward was saying without a fight._

_Edward on the other hand was angry, and he was showing it. "How the fuck is that different?" _

"_Because I don't care what she says about me! I love you, I love you more than anything else in this world, and that includes myself. What happens to me doesn't matter." _

"_That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard you say."_

"_Whatever, Edward." Bella tried to walk past him to get to the hallway, but he put his arm out to stop her. _

"_See! You are doing it now. I am sitting here, yelling at you, and you aren't even sticking up for yourself! Fight back, Bella! Yell at me, hit me, just do something to protect yourself!" _

"_I don't want to yell at you or hit you." _

"_Why not?" _

"_Because I love you!" A tear fell down Bella's face. _

_Edward felt bad for making her cry, but he was so mad at her inability to defend herself, he didn't stop. In that moment Edward felt like that was the only way to help Bella. He knew that that night would not be the last time they will see Renee, and he didn't think he could take seeing Renee talk down on Bella with Bella just taking it; he loved her too much. "You can yell at people you love, Bella. I am doing it right now." Bella didn't say anything, tears continued to fall from her face. "Come on, Bella. I am yelling at you, I am in your personal space, just fight back!" _

_Bella finally cracked, and she looked up to Edward. "Stop! Just stop! Leave me alone!" She hit Edward's chest with both of her fists. "Just stop yelling at me! I can't take it!"_

_Edward let her hit him, her yelling at him didn't make him angry. In a strange way, he was proud of her for finally doing something to defend herself. "Good, you aren't supposed to just take it. Don't let anyone talk down on you Bella, especially your mother. It just makes you look weak." _

_She stopped hitting him, and turned her back to him. She buried her face in her hands and cried. Edward put a hand on her shoulder, but she stepped away from him. "I don't want to talk to you right now Edward, I really just want you to leave right now, I need some time alone." _

_Edward nodded his head. "That's fine, I will leave for a little while, but I just want you to know that I love you, Bella. You are my life." His voice cracked at the raw emotion coming out of his words. "And you are not weak." He walked away from Bella and out of the house. He didn't know at the time that that was one of his biggest mistakes. _

* * *

_Edward sat in his car with the back seat reclined back. Edward was just sitting in his car at a park. He fell asleep for about a half an hour, and now he was just waiting until he thought would be the good time to go back to Bella. He got up from the seat, and looked at the clock. It was 10 at night now, so Edward decided to go back since he has been gone for two and a half hours now. The park was only down the street, so he got home in less than five minutes. _

_He opened the door of the apartment, and it was dark and silent. He figured Bella was sleeping, so he just turned the light on in the living room when he entered. He began to become nervous when he saw the lamp that was on the table was now broken on the ground. "Bella!" He yelled. He ran through the small apartment and checked in every room, calling Bella's name repeatedly. The last room he went in was the bathroom, and he found her. She was on the ground, lying on her side with her hands underneath her head. She was awake, but she was staring straight ahead looking at nothing. She was mumbling indecipherable words under her breath, and Edward didn't know what was wrong with her; he was frozen at the door. The answers to his questions were answered when he saw the empty bottle of vodka on the side of her. He ran to her and knelt down in front of her, but Bella wasn't looking at him. He pushed her hair out of her face. "Bella, what did you do?" _

"_Edward?" She asked. She looked up at him, but it took a couple of seconds for her to recognize him. "Edward." _

_Edward felt a lump in his throat seeing her like this. This was nothing he expected from her. He knew she was a heavy drinker when she was younger, but that was so long ago…years ago. And now here she is. "I'm here, love." He didn't know what else to say. _

"_Hold me, Edward. Hold me." She whispered. _

_Edward sat back, and pulled Bella's nearly limp body into his arms. She put her arms around him, but her grip was not tight at all. Edward's grip on the other hand was strong and firm. He was in shock, and all he wanted to do was help her. "Why did you do this, Bella?" _

"_The pain." She whispered against Edward's chest. "The pain. Make it go away, Edward. Please make it go away." _

_Edward completely lost it and a sob broke out of his chest. He held Bella closer to his chest. "I wish I could. There is nothing I want more." _

_~End Flashback~_

That night was like a wakeup call for me. That night I yelled at her, I said some things that I never thought I would say to her, and I honestly thought at the time that that would be what was best for her. I was wrong obviously, but that was because I never realized how deeply affected Bella was by her childhood. She always seemed so happy when she was around me, and I didn't see what she was feeling inside. I never realized how scarred she was, and the pain she lived with, but hid so well.

Until that night.

That night was the night she needed me the most, and it was the one night I failed her. When I saw her on that floor…it was…I don't even know what to say. It felt like my whole world fell apart. It was a slap in the face seeing how broken she was. It made me realize how much Renee broke Bella. She kept drinking after that night, just like all of the other times. It was a horrible time.

I pulled up to the front of my house, and saw Alice and Bella's car in the driveway. I jumped out of the car and ran up the steps of the porch. I swung the door open, and my sudden opening of the door scared Peyton who was standing only a couple of feet from it, and she jumped and screamed. It wasn't that loud though, because it came out of such a little delicate body. Her face looked really funny, and I couldn't help but chuckle at her, my little princess.

"You care me, Daddy." She put her little hand over her chest, and I walked up to her and picked her up. She was still a little thing for an almost two year old, and she was getting better at talking, she was actually really good at it. She was perfect, really.

"Hello, beautiful." I said as I placed butterfly kisses all over her face, causing her to giggle. Liam came running from the living room.

"Daddy!" He whispered and ran to hug me around my waist. I dropped one of my hands and ruffled his hair.

"Why are you whispering, buddy?" I whispered.

"Braedon fell asleep during the movie."

"Oh, okay."

Liam gasped. "Happy birthday, Daddy! We went to the store today for your surprise party!" He gasped again after he said that, and put his hand over his mouth. "Woops."

"Bertday!" Peyton giggled and clapped her hands together. I couldn't help but kiss her cheek.

"Sorry, I ruined the surprise, Daddy. But we didn't get everything yet anyway because of the mean lady." Alice came out of the living room now, and I could see the worried expression on her face.

"Hey, Liam, why don't you take your sister into the living room, Uncle Jasper was asking for you."

Liam shrugged. "Okay. Come on Peyton." I placed her on the ground. Liam picked up one of her hands and they both walked back into the living room. Alice came forward.

"Bella is upstairs."

"She hasn't tried to leave?" Alice shook her head. "What the hell happened?"

"We were in the mall, and we were just walking around, and out comes Renee. Jasper had Braedon and Rylan in the bathrooms, and I was walking with Bella, Peyton, and Liam. Renee was with some guy with dreadlocks, I don't know his name obviously, but Renee was saying some really hurtful things to Bella."

"What was she saying?"

Alice cringed. "I really don't want to say them. Bella was like a stone, Edward. She was just staring at her, and taking it. It was almost like she was ignoring everything she said, but she changed completely when Renee said some things about the kids."

That caused my whole body to tense. "She said things about my children?"

"Yes, and so did the guy. But I love you, Edward, and there is no way I will tell you what she said." I nodded my head, knowing that if I knew, I would lose it, and Bella needed me right now. "She flipped out, Edward. I mean she completely lost it. She was screaming at Renee and then she was screaming at the guy too! Like I said, I don't know his name, but he was trouble Edward, I could just tell."

"I need to go talk to her." I walked past Alice, and ran up the steps. As I was turning the corner, I caught Bella walking out of the room with her purse. She was just about to leave. She looked horrible, but beautiful at the same time, my poor Bella.

"Edward." She whispered. I jogged so I was standing right in front of her. I ran my hands up and down her arms. She looked up at me sadly, and I pulled her to my chest. She dropped her purse to the floor, and wrapped her arms around my waist. She lost her composure, and she broke down in my arms. This bothered me, but I was glad she was letting it out with me here and holding her, then keeping it bottled up, and going to do something irrational; like drinking. I lifted her off the ground, and brought her into our room so the kids wouldn't hear her and get scared. I brought her to the bed, and I lied down with her, holding her as she cried.

"It's okay, love. Stop crying, beautiful."

"I just wish she would go away, Edward. I don't ever want to see her again."

"I know."

"She said some horrible things about our babies Edward. I lost it. They, along with you, are my life. It was like she threatened my life."

"I know, love. Do you want to move? Somewhere far away?" I knew it was out of the blue, but I would do anything to take this pain away from Bella.

"I don't want to run away, Edward. I am not going to take Liam and Peyton away from the only home they know because of her." I understood what she meant. I nodded my head, and kissed the top of hers.

"Well then we will do the only thing I think that could potentially help us."

She wiped some tears from her eyes. "What is that?"

"We will get a restraining order on her."

She nodded her head. "Okay. I love you, Edward."

"I love you so much, Bella. So I want you to be honest with me."

She looked confused, and maybe even a little scared. "Okay…"

"Where were you going when I came up here?"

She sighed loudly. "I was going to get a bottle of vodka." Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I was expecting her to say that, but a small part of me, the naïve part of me, wished her impulse to drink was completely gone. Another wakeup call for me. She is still really sick; this realization scared me half to death.

I didn't know what to say to her and she pushed closer to me, and held me closer to her. Her head was on my chest, and it felt good to have _my _Bella in my arms, and not the one I came home to that last time.

But I also knew that this wasn't the end.

* * *

**Whoa, I think that was my longest flashback ever. But so so so so so important.**

**So what do you think? Renee made another appearance, she said stuff about Liam and Peyton! What about the flashback? Oh man, things are really picking up now ladies and…I don't think there are any gentlemen reading this, but if there is let me know so I can acknowledge your male presence. **

**Review if you hate Renee! Hahahaha…**

**See you guys Monday! **


	21. Chapter 20: Goodbye

_****_

Chapter 20: Goodbye  
September 26, 2009

EPOV

Holy shit, I really can't breathe.

"Mom." I said in a strained voice, her grip was so tight around my neck. "I need to breathe to live." She laughed softly, and let go of my neck. I took a much needed breath of air. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry, but you are going so far away! You are going to be across the country!" Yeah, I ended up agreeing on going to that conference in New York, and agreeing to go was the most puzzling feeling. I was excited; there was no doubt about that. I loved my job, and being able to travel across the country and be around other people that share the same love I do for my field is incredible. It was an opportunity that not everyone will get to experience. And I have never stepped foot on the east coast of the United States before, and I was looking forward to it. Along with that anxiousness and excitement though was also the sadness.

I am going to be away from my children and Bella for a whole week.

I tried to find a way that I would be able to bring the three of them with me, but it just didn't work out that well. Liam just started school again a couple of weeks ago, and Peyton started dancing classes. Also, Peyton was really young to be taking on a six hour plane ride to New York. She would get bored easily, and get cranky; I could just imagine the bad mood she would be in. There is also the money situation, Peyton's surgery put a major dent in our bank account, and also all of her medications that she is still taking, and will have to take for a long time were costing us a fortune. Of course it doesn't bother me, she needs that medication.

"I know I will be far, but I will be fine."

"But still…"

"Ma, we are all trying to get out of this door that you are blocking." Emmett said with Alyssa in his arms. "We had our goodbye breakfast, and now the guy wants to spend the day with his wife and kids, speed it up." Esme gave Emmett a dirty look, and kissed Edward on the cheek.

"I love you, Edward. You better call me at every chance you get."

"I will, Mom." She finally stepped out the door, and my Dad gave me a quick hug.

"Be careful, son." He said, and joined my Mom outside, and they walked hand-in-hand to their car. Emmett, Rose, and their kids left next, I received more hugs and kisses goodbye. And then last but not least was Alice, Jasper and their boys. Everyone came over this morning for breakfast at our house as a goodbye party type thing for me. I closed the door after everyone left, and went to find Bella and the kids. I saw Bella was washing dishes in the kitchen, and I could hear the TV on in the living room. I stopped in the kitchen first, and wrapped my arms around Bella from behind. I kissed her neck, and she sighed.

"You almost done, love?"

"Yup, just give me a couple more minutes." She said, and continued scrubbing the pan that was used for the bacon. That grease was a bitch to clean.

"Alright, I will just be in the living room with the kids. Kiss me first." She chuckled and turned her head to the side to give me a soft kiss on my mouth. "Thank you, beautiful." I let go of her, and walked into the living room. Liam was lying down on the couch, and Peyton was lying on the floor on her stomach, both were watching Spongebob. I sat down on the couch at Liam's feet. He looked over at me and smiled before bringing his attention back to the show. Peyton's head shot up, and she looked at me tiredly. She got up from the ground though, and toddled over to me. She lifted her arms for me to take her, and I of course lifted her into my arms without hesitation. I sat her in my lap so she would be facing the TV, but she turned around so she was facing me, and had her head resting on my chest. I had one arm around her, and I smiled when she picked up my other arm, and put it around her.

She snuggled into my chest and sighed. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, princess." I kissed the top of her head. Her hair was already getting darker, and it was getting very long. Now it was probably right in the middle of her ears, and it seemed like it grew more every day.

"I tired." She said. I rubbed her back, and she relaxed even more. Peyton was more active since her surgery, but she still got tired easily. Unfortunately, her physical activity has had to be limited. If she over works herself, it could cause her to faint, and I don't ever want to see my baby girl faint ever again. She is doing fantastic though with all things considered. She was walking like a pro, and even running. Her speech was remarkable for a two year old. She had a scar on her chest, and she points at it with question, and me and Bella just tell her that is her beauty mark. Of course we will tell her what it is really for when she gets older, because she will live with that scar for the rest of her life. But for now, we see no point in telling her what it is from because she is too young to understand anyway.

"So go to sleep, baby girl."

She nodded her head, and closed her eyes, Liam decided to take that moment to tease her though. He lifted his foot, and poked her side with it.

"No, no." She said like a mother would say to their child, it was really fucking cute.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Liam said, and then poked her in the side again with his foot.

"Top it, Wiam!" She said even louder now, but she didn't bother lifting her head. Liam loved Peyton, but he also loved teasing Peyton.

"Alright, alright, geez grumpy pants go to sleep." Liam said, and I just sat back and watched them interact. I absolutely adore these two.

"Wuv you, meanie boy."

I laughed softly and kissed the top of Peyton's head. How will I survive being away from these two for a whole week? "Love you too, grumpy girl."

Peyton fell asleep in a matter of minutes, and she began to get drool on my shirt, but there was no way in hell I was going to move her. Bella came into the room soon after, and sat down next to me. She moved Liam's feet up so she could sit. She leaned into my side, and I put my arm around her. "Come over here, Liam." She said. Liam got up without taking his eyes off the TV, and crawled into Bella's lap. It was nice just sitting down on the couch with my family. This next week was going to be hard. I looked down at Bella the same time she looked up at me. I could see my feelings reflected in her eyes.

I am going to miss them so much.

* * *

"Peyton, honey, don't put your bologna on your head." I told her while trying to hold in a laugh. We were all just having a light lunch since we had such a big breakfast. Bella made all of us sandwiches. Me, Liam, and Bella had turkey, but Peyton was a huge bologna fan. Bella gave her a half a sandwich with some Goldfish, but she always takes the sandwich apart and eats each individual part alone. And now she likes to put the bologna on her head apparently.

"Buwonee head!" She screamed, and all of us laughed. She was very outgoing for a two year old. She really reminded me of my mother. I was more like my Dad, and I still am, because I was never the outgoing one. Bella was outgoing when she was younger, but the world kind of got the best of her—or should I say Renee-and she became more reserved. It will be my goal in life to make sure that never happens to Peyton or Liam.

"So I was thinking about something Mommy and Daddy." Liam said.

"What were you thinking about, handsome?" Bella asked.

"I think I heard on the TV that all airplanes were broken forever." He shrugged his shoulders and continued eating his sandwich. Liam was not happy with my decision to leave for a whole week. He got mad when I told him, but after that he sort of went in denial. He didn't really acknowledge it, and he just acted like it wasn't going to happen. He would do little things here and there to let me know he was still unhappy about it, but he never got mad again after that. Just little comments every now and then, and yesterday he took my clothes out of my suitcase when I started packing yesterday. I felt like shit that he was so upset about it, but I really want this promotion and I am sure he will be fine.

Bella sighed, and I was unable to say anything. Each of his small attempts at trying to make me stay broke me a little more every time. "I don't think that is true, baby." Bella said.

Liam put down his sandwich. "Well you are a liar!" Liam practically yelled at Bella.

"Liam Cullen you do not talk to your mother that way." I told him sharply; he knows better than to talk to his mother like that.

He finally broke, and tears started falling. He covered his face, and got up from the table, and ran up the stairs to his room. I buried my face in my hands, and it was silent at the table. I lifted my head, Liam slammed the door and Peyton jumped at the sound. Bella put a hand on my arm, and Peyton looked over at me with confusion in her beautiful face and mayonnaise on her chin.

"Wiam sad?" She asked.

"Yeah, honey, but he will be okay, why don't you finish your Goldfish?" Bella said; she was now rubbing my back. Peyton nodded her head, and picked up a Goldfish between her thumb and forefinger. She ate them silently, and now she was sad because Liam was.

"I'll go talk to him." I said softly.

"Okay, but Edward?" I looked over at her. "He will be fine while you are gone; he is just not used to it. I can see you going in there and changing all of your plans. Don't do that."

I nodded my head. "I won't." I kissed her forehead, and went upstairs to Liam's room. I could hear him crying, and I took a deep breath to compose myself before I knocked on the door. There was no answer, but his crying quieted. "Can I come in, bud?"

"No." I heard him say. I didn't listen though, and I opened the door. He sat up in his bed, and looked at me incredulously. "I said no." He wasn't yelling or having an attitude, he just said it with no emotion.

"I know, but I want to talk to you, Liam." I sat down on the bed next to him, and I opened my arms for him. He hesitated a moment, and then went to sit on my lap. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed the top of his head. "Okay, so talk to me, buddy. What is bothering you exactly?"

"I don't want you to leave us." He mumbled into my shirt. I pulled him away so I could look at him.

"I'm not leaving you guys, Liam. Yes I am going to be gone for a week, but I will be back."

"But that is a long time." His voice began to fill with emotion, and I thought he was going to cry again. "I won't even get to see you for a lot of days!"

I sighed, and pulled him back to my chest in an attempt to comfort him a little bit. "I know it seems like a long time, but it will go by very fast, I promise. Plus, you have your Mom and Peyton here with you. You will be the man of the house."

He lifted his head. "Really?" He asked, sounding intrigued, it was better than sad.

"Of course. You need to not be so sad, and take care of your Mom and Peyton for me while I am gone."

His face fell a little. "But what if Mommy gets sick at night like she did all of those other times? What do I do?" I was silent for a moment while I tried to figure out what to say to him. There was always that nagging voice in the back of my head that said there was a very good chance that Bella would start drinking again while I was gone, but I tried to ignore it the best I can. I have learned from many past experiences that bad things usually happen to Bella when I was not with her. We learned that at a very young age unfortunately…

~_Flashback~_

_**10 Years Old**_

"_So what are you going to do over the weekend with Jasper and Emmett?" Bella asked Edward as he pushed her on the swing. They were in Edward's backyard, and they were spending some time together before Edward had to leave in a couple of hours to go with Emmett to their friend Jasper's house for the weekend. Alice was going too to stay with Jasper's sister, Rosalie. Bella wasn't going because Renee wouldn't let her, so she was stuck staying home all weekend by herself. _

"_Jasper said that his Dad would bring us fishing, and we will probably just play video games and stuff."_

"_Video games are boring, Edward." _

"_You're boring." _

"_That was mean." _

"_You're mean." _

"_That flower is beautiful." _

"_You're beautiful." _

"_Ha! Gotchya!" Bella said and started laughing. _

"_That was not fair! You tricked me!" Edward stopped pushing Bella on the swing, and stepped off to the side with his arms crossed. _

_Bella stopped the swing by dragging her feet on the ground. "I'm sorry, Edward. I know you didn't mean it, I was just kidding, I know I'm not that pretty." _

_Edward dropped his arms, and got back behind Bella. He took hold of the ropes of the swing, and pulled Bella back and let go so she was swinging again. "I think you are pretty Bella." Edward said quietly. _

"_You do?" _

"_Yeah I do, I won't be friends with ugly people." _

_Bella gasped. "That is so mean, Edward! Don't say that!" _

"_I was kidding, geez Bella." He continued pushing Bella on the swing. "So do you have any plans this weekend?" _

"_No, my Mom is having a party tonight, so I will just be stuck in my room." Bella said._

"_Make sure you lock the door, Bella." _

"_I know, Edward. I wish she would just let me go with you guys though, I am going to be so bored!" _

"_I know, but I will be back on Sunday, and we can play then." Edward pushed Bella some more, and then stopped after a couple of minutes. "Why don't you push me?" _

_Bella stopped herself on the swing and jumped off. "Okay, I can try, but you are bigger than me." _

_Edward got on the swing and Bella put her hands on his back she pushed forward with strain. Edward laughed. "I'm not that big, Bella!" _

_Bella finally pushed him enough so he started to swing. "Well I am smaller than you and you are a boy!" _

_Edward laughed, and Bella got into a rhythm in pushing him. "You are weird." Bella laughed, and continued pushing Edward on the swing. _

"_Edward!" Esme called. _

"_Yeah!"_

"_We are leaving now because me and your father are going to be going away for the weekend and we need to leave now. So say goodbye, and get in the car."_

"_Okay!" Esme went back in the house and Edward stopped himself on the swing. He hopped down, and looked back at Bella who had her eyes to the ground and her hands clasped together in front of her. Edward walked up to her. "Well I guess I have to go." _

"_Yeah." She finally looked up him. "Have fun, Edward." _

"_I will, you try and have fun too, I guess." _

_Bella snorted, and then looked at Edward through her lashes. "Can I give you a hug?" _

_Edward smiled. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around Bella; she wrapped her arms around his waist. "You know you don't have to ask." _

* * *

"_Oh Mom, it was so much fun! I want to go again next weekend, don't you Edward?" Emmett asked. They were in the car heading home from their weekend at Jasper's._

"_Maybe." Edward said. Edward had a good time, but he really missed Bella. He worried about her and he started to become anxious when he realized he had no way of knowing if she was okay. He tried calling Bella's phone number, but a machine said that the number was disconnected. _

"_I don't know about next weekend, Emmett, but definitely another time." Esme said. They pulled up to the house, and Edward jumped out as soon as Carlisle turned the car off. Edward noticed Renee's car wasn't in the driveway and he was getting excited to see Bella._

"_Can I go to Bella's, please?" He asked Esme. _

_Esme smiled. "Go ahead, honey." Edward ran over to the door, and knocked. Bella didn't answer at first, so Edward kept knocking. _

"_Bella! It's me!" He knocked some more, and after about a minute and a half, Bella opened the door. She was leaning on the door for support. She was standing on her left leg, the right one was lifted behind her wrapped in what looked like a paper towel. Edward could see the blood that seeped through the paper towel. He gasped, and looked at Bella's face. She was pale and her face was sweating. "Bella! What happened?" _

"_It hurts a lot, Edward." Bella said, and a tear fell from her eye. _

"_Dad!" Edward screamed. Carlisle was bringing the bags in the house, but he dropped them when he heard Edward scream. He ran over to him quickly. _

"_What is it son? Is someth…" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Bella. "Oh my God." He walked in front of Edward, and scooped Bella into his arms, making sure not to agitate her bloody foot. He shut the door to her house, and jogged lightly back to the house with Bella in his arms, Edward followed. He walked into the house, and brought Bella to the bathroom. He sat her on the counter. "You stay right here, okay honey?" Bella nodded. "Edward, you stay with her." Edward walked over to Bella and took her hand while Carlisle went out of the room to get something to help Bella. _

"_Bella, tell me what happened." Edward said. _

_Bella had tears still falling from her eyes. "My Mom had her party on Friday, and I locked myself in my room just like you said. But they were so loud I couldn't fall asleep. And then they were all quiet, and I had to go to the bathroom. When I got out of my room I saw that she left the front door open. All of her friends were sleeping on the floor and stuff. Well I went to close the door so no one could come in, and then I stepped on glass that was on the ground. It was a broken bottle of beer or something." _

_Edward gripped tighter onto Bella's hand. "And your Mom didn't bring you to the hospital?" _

_Bella shook her head. "I screamed when I stepped on it, and it woke her up, so she slapped me, and dragged me back to my room because I wouldn't stand on my foot." _

"_You should have gone to get help, Bella!" Edward seemed mad at Bella, and that made Bella cry even more. _

"_I-I'm sorry, Edward. But your Mom and Dad weren't home, and I couldn't go walk to the hospital." She was full on sobbing now, and she buried her face in her hands. Edward now felt bad and he jumped up on the counter of the bathroom with her, and wrapped his arm around her. _

"_Don't cry, Bella. I'm sorry; I know there was nothing you could do." She nodded her head against his chest and Carlisle came running in with Esme behind him. She went right to Bella's other side, and kissed the top of her head. _

"_Are you okay, honey?" Esme asked. _

"_I'm okay, it just hurts." _

_Carlisle got his bag, and started taking things out. He put gloves on, and went to take the paper towels off of her foot. Some pieces were dried onto her skin, and it caused Bella to whimper and tense up at the pain. "I'm sorry, kiddo." Carlisle said, but never took his eyes away to take the paper towel off as gently as he could. He gasped when he saw how bad her foot looked underneath. The bottom of her foot was covered with small swollen cuts. Carlisle noticed there were still small pieces of glass embedded in her skin. He went in his bag and took out some tweezers. Bella tried to scoot away from him in fright. "I have to take the glass out, Bella. I will go as gentle as I can, but it needs to be done, honey."_

_Bella nodded and Carlisle went to work on the cuts. Bella began crying into Edward shoulder when he started taking the pieces of glass out. When Carlisle was done, he moved Bella so her foot was over the sink, he poured saline over the cuts to clean them out, and then he poured some hydrogen peroxide on them to kill any germs. Bella cringed at the sting of the hydrogen peroxide and Edward rubbed her back. Carlisle wrapped up Bella's foot. _

"_It's all done now, sweetie." Esme said. _

"_Come on, darling, I will bring you into the guest room." Carlisle picked her up and she rested her head on his shoulder. _

"_Thank you, Carlisle." She whispered. _

"_You are very welcome." Carlisle said. He set her down on the bed, and Edward jumped in the bed with her. "I will be right back." _

_Edward was on his side facing Bella who was on her back. Bella looked over at Edward. "Did you have fun?" She asked. _

_Edward shrugged. "It was alright." _

"_I really missed you. It's really boring without you." _

"_I'm sorry you are hurt, Bella."_

"_It's okay, I feel so much better now with you here."_

"_I won't go away for another weekend ever again." Edward said with much sincerity. _

"_Don't be silly, Edward. I will be fine." _

_Edward nodded his head, and watched Bella as she started to fall asleep. He didn't want to leave Bella for a long time ever again. He wanted to protect her from the big bad monster that was her mother._

_~End Flashback~_

After Bella woke up that day, Carlisle and Esme told her that they were going to talk to Renee about what she did, and they were going to try and get her in trouble for neglecting her child, but Bella flipped out. She was crying and so so scared for what her mother would do if they did that. She went into a full on panic attack, and Carlisle and Esme backed down, but swore if something like it happened again, they would get the authorities involved.

"Liam, Mommy will not get sick, okay? Don't worry about that."

"You promise?"

"I promise." I had a long talk with Bella yesterday about this. Ever since my birthday I knew that Bella still had the urge to drink, and since I wasn't going to be here to talk her down if anything was going to happen, I talked with her and let her know the deal. She promised me that she would not drink at all, and she would call me if something happened or something was bothering her. I talked with everyone in the family to come by the house and check on her and the kids to make sure everything was okay. I trusted Bella, and I believed her when she told me she wouldn't do it.

* * *

_**Sunday, September 27, 2009**_

I woke up when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. It was my alarm. I set the alarm to vibrate, and I put it in the pocket of my pajama pants. I normally have the regular annoying beeping alarm, but I wasn't the only one in the room. Peyton was sleeping on my chest, her blonde hair splayed out on my bare chest. Liam was sleeping on my left side, and Bella was on my right. Liam wanted to sleep in our bed with us last night because he knew I would be leaving early in the morning. Peyton then of course wanted to join just so she wasn't left out. She knows that I am leaving tomorrow, but she doesn't fully understand because she is so young.

I looked over at Bella and saw she was already awake. It was 2:30 in the morning. She kissed my shoulder, and got up from the bed. She walked out of the room to what I expect was the bathroom. I unwrapped my arm from around Liam and gently guided his head to the pillow. He stirred slightly, but then just snuggled in closer to the pillow, and sighed in contentment. I shifted away from him with Peyton still on my chest, and got in the sitting position. Peyton was a heavy sleeper, so she didn't stir at all when I got up. I looked down at her pretty face, and almost started crying right then, I am going to miss this pretty face.

I gave her soft kisses on her forehead, so light I am sure she wouldn't wake up from it. I got up, and placed her on the middle of the bed next to Liam. She didn't stir at all, and was sleeping peacefully. I kissed her head again, and then kissed Liam's as well. I left the room and went to the bathroom where my clothes already were. I planned ahead so I wouldn't be bumping around in the bedroom while the kids were sleeping. Bella was not in there. I brushed my teeth, and got dressed quickly. I went downstairs, and saw Bella was pouring me a cup of coffee. I walked into the kitchen, and she turned around. She gave me a smile, but her eyes were sad, as I am sure mine were.

She handed me the coffee, I took it with my right hand, and pulled her to me with my left. She wrapped both of her arms tightly around me and I rubbed my hand up and down her back and took a sip of my coffee. "What time do you have to leave again?"

"Three." We both looked over at the clock; it was 2:54.

"Okay, well let me help you take your bags out to the car." I nodded my head, and I finished my cup of coffee. She walked ahead of me, and grabbed my carry-on. I grabbed my suitcase, and brought it outside. I opened my trunk, and put the suitcase in while Bella put my carry-on in the front passenger seat. I closed the trunk, and she met me at the driver's side door. She was standing in front of me with her eyes down on her hands that were in front of her.

"Look at me, love." She lifted her face to mine, and I held her face between my hands. Tears started falling down her cheeks, and I wiped them away with my thumbs. I bent down and kissed her lips slowly and lovingly. There was no tongue, and it wasn't hungry, we were just telling each other how much we loved and were going to miss each other with every kiss to each other's lips. A tear fell from my eye when we finally pulled away, our foreheads touching.

She looked up at me, and wiped my tear away. "You need to go." I nodded my head. "Call me when you land, okay baby?"

"I will, I promise. And you promise me that you will call me if you need me, okay?"

"I promise." I opened the door to my car, and went to get in, but Bella pulled me back, and wrapped her arms around my neck. I hugged her back. "I feel like such a baby, but I really, really don't want you to go."

"It's only a week, Bella."

"I know it is, and that is why I don't know why I am making such a big deal about this, but I literally feel sick to my stomach right now."

"We have spent longer periods of time apart, love." I said as I rubbed her back, this was strange; Bella has never acted like this before she knew we were going to be apart for a while. All of those times she has gone to rehab, she would cry, but for her to be sick to her stomach? It was only a week. This made me uneasy.

"I'm sorry, you must think I am being stupid, but Edward, I really feel so nauseous when I think about you leaving." She pulled away, and cupped my face in her hands. "I love you, okay? I love you so much, so please be safe, I just have a bad feeling. Be safe, and prove me wrong, baby."

"Okay, now you are starting to scare me, love. I will be fine, you need to stop worrying." I kissed her one more time. "I love you, beautiful. I will call you as soon as we land. Give Liam and Peyton another kiss for me."

She nodded her head, and she finally let go, and I was able to get in the car. I drove off, and Bella waved at me. I drove away from her and towards a week that I am sure is going to be hard.

* * *

_**Monday, September 28, 2009**_

I woke up after my first night in New York still exhausted. I think I slept three hours tops; it was just too cold in that hotel room, too quiet, too empty.

There was an introduction meeting. Karen made it interesting.

I talked to Liam, Peyton, and Bella that night, and they were all doing okay. Liam told me about his day at school, and how he helped Bella make dinner, and how he cleaned Peyton's face after she got spaghetti sauce all over it. He told me he missed me, I told him I missed him, he cried, I cried, but I didn't let him know it. Peyton was babbling on about a bunch of random things that a two year old talks about. I tried to keep up, but she was barely gave me time to get a word in. She said bye, and didn't cry, thank God.

Bella told me about her day, asked me if I was okay, she told me she loved and missed me. I told her the same, and I felt empty once again when she hung up.

* * *

_**Tuesday, September 29, 2009**_

I slept about two hours last night. I had some work I needed to get done, and I was missing my family.

I had another meeting today, it went well. Everyone was praising me and telling me what a good worker I was. Mitchell brought me around like his trophy. I wasn't much for attention, but I was getting closer and closer to that promotion.

I went to dinner with Karen and her wife, Nancy. Nancy was much like Karen, but different. They were perfect for each other. I went for a walk after in the city that never sleeps. New York City was really nice, Times Square amazed me, but it really wasn't that great when I couldn't watch Liam and Peyton's face as they saw all the lights.

I talked to Bella and the kids again, the conversations were much like yesterday, but this time Peyton cried, so I cried.

I went to bed at midnight.

* * *

_**Wednesday, September 30, 2009**_

I got five hours of sleep last night, I was making progress.

Another meeting and another client signed on just with a conversation they had with me. The promotion was so close I could taste it.

Went to a bar with Karen and Nancy, and watched a local band play, they were alright.

Talked to Bella and the kids, it was the same as yesterday, but it was cut short because they were all at Emmett and Rosalie's house for dinner, and they wanted to play with their cousins. Bella seemed like she was loosening up a little. It was good to hear her be happier, even if I was just getting sadder. There really is no reason for anything without them.

I did more work, and went to bed at midnight again. I was just about to doze off when my cell phone rang. I got up fast and answered it. "Hello?" I asked groggily.

"Edward!" Bella yelled, but it was in a whisper, and I automatically went into panic mode.

"Bella! What's wrong, love? Why are you whispering?"

"Someone's in the house, Edward." She whispered, and I could tell she was freaking out.

Now I was getting up from the bed, and putting clothes on. "What? Bella where are you? Are the kids in the house too? Did you call the cops?" My head and chest hurt so fucking bad; my heart was beating so hard.

"I am in the closet of our bedroom." She whispered. "The kids are at Emmett's and I called the cops right before I called you, but I am so scared Edward. Whoever it is is in the kitchen, and I can't get out." I knew she couldn't, if she made any noise, whoever it was would find her, and there was no way she could jump out the window because it was too high up.

"Shhh…calm down, love. Just stay on the phone with me, and stay quiet, the cops will be there soon."

"Okay." She choked out, and I could hear she started crying now. "I love you, Edward. If something happens to me tell the kids I love them too."

"Bella! Shut up! Don't you dare say things like that!" I yelled. My hands were shaking, my knees going weak. I was helpless, I can't help her, I was on the other side of the fucking country. The pain was blinding, I failed her.

"Tell me you love me."

"No! Bella this is not a goodbye, the cops are coming, or that person might just leave."

"Tell me you love me, Edward, please."

"No Bella." I was pacing now, tears already started falling down my cheeks, and I would not tell her that even though it was the truest thing in my world. I loved her my whole life, and I always wanted to say it to her all the time; but not now. I knew she thought of this as a goodbye and there was no way that was going to happen. No.

"Please, Edward."

I could hear some noise on the other end

…a door opening

…footsteps

…Bella's ragged breathing

…"Please." She said, a sob escaping her lips.

…a closet door.

…"I love you." I choked out.

…Bella's scream of terror.

* * *

**Is this cliffy too bad? I'm sorry! **

**But I feel extra bad about this one because I don't know if I will be able to update on Friday! I got a lot of stuff I have to get done this week so I don't know if it will be possible! I will try my hardest, but I can't make any promises. So next update will either be Friday or Monday, but if you follow me on Twitter (Blueking141) or go check on the thread, I will post a teaser at some point! **

**Want to hear a freaky story? I finished this chapter at about 6 p.m. I had dinner, and my aunt and uncle came over to visit for a while, and then when they left, I came back up to my room at 8 to edit this chapter, and on my way to my laptop, I stepped on a thumb tack that was on the floor and the bottom of my foot was bleeding! I just thought that was so weird how I just got finished writing about how Bella's foot got cut, and then it happened to me…although mine wasn't as bad as Bella's, but still! **

**So sorry for the possible delay ladies and my gentleman reader. **

**You can yell at me in a review. Please review; last chapter I got the least amount of reviews for a chapter, and I'm not gunna lie, I got kind of sad since I had more hits and less reviews! So please review…maybe I will update faster…who knows. **

**Thanks! **


	22. Chapter 21: Scary Love

**Another surprise post! I actually got sick this week, so I was stuck home with nothing to do but sleep and write lol, so I got this chapter done early, so I figured I should post it early as a way of saying sorry for the cliffy last chapter. **

**! TISSUE WARNING !**

* * *

_**Chapter 21: Scary Love  
October 1, 2009**_

EPOV

Her scream was like a thousand knives twisting and turning in my heart. The pain was all consuming and it made it hard to breathe. What hurt the most was that I was not there; I was nowhere near her. I couldn't do anything to help her right now, I can't protect her, I can't beat the shit out of whoever is in my house and hurting my wife.

"Bella!" I screamed; all I heard was her scream and banging in the background. "Bella!" The line went dead. I dropped the phone on the floor, and I ran around the room to get my stuff together. I started stuffing my clothes in my suitcase as my mind was racing. Who the fuck was in the house? Me and Bella don't have any bad blood with anyone, we are very reserved…the only person I can think of is Renee. But why would Renee sneak into our home? From what I know of Renee, I would think she would just waltz right in and mess with Bella. But what if it was someone Renee knows? Renee hangs out with drug dealers….

_No._

I dropped the clothes that I had in my hand and went to pick up my phone from the ground. Thankfully it was still working and I dialed Emmett number. It took me about three tries because my hands were shaking and sweating. The phone rang about two times before he answered. "Hello?"

"Where are my kids?" I asked urgently.

"Edward? Is that you?" He asked, sounding a mix of worried and confused.

"Yes, where are my kids, Emmett?"

"They are sleeping upstairs, what the hell…"

"Go to them." He started to say something else, but I cut him off harshly. "I don't want to hear another word until you have both of my children in your sight." I yelled. My voice was wild, and my eyes were watering. I heard Rosalie ask what was going on in the background, and I could hear Emmett's footsteps.

"They are right in front of me, Edward. They are both sleeping, what the hell is going on?" He whispered. I took a second to just breathe. My children were at least safe. If the person in our house was a drug dealer, I knew no one in my family was safe.

"Tell Rosalie to take all of the kids in the same room, and have her stay with them. You need to go to my house, I just got off the phone with Bella and there was someone in the house. She was screaming…" I couldn't finish because a sob got caught in my throat. I need to keep it together.

"Whoa, okay, I will get everyone situated, and I will call you back as soon as I am on my way, just hold it together, bro." I agreed and he hung up. I walked out of my room still in my pajamas and with the cell phone in my hand. I went to the front of Karen's room and started knocking hard on the door, I felt bad for doing this so late, but I need her right now. She answered the door only seconds later, she looked tired but her eyes popped out of her eyes when she saw my condition.

"Edward! Oh my God, what is wrong?" She pulled me into the room, and Nancy was close behind her. She pulled me over to the couch in her hotel room, and pushed me down on it.

"I need you to get me a flight back to Seattle as soon as possible, Karen." My voice cracked and I was really starting to become pissed at myself. I am being such a mess; I need to get myself together so I can somehow help Bella.

Karen wasted no time getting her cell phone, and she asked questions while dialing the number. "What happened, Edward."

"Bella called me, there was someone in the house, and then she screamed." I buried my face in my hands the tears were coming out and I felt like such a failure. "I heard banging, and more screaming and the line went dead. I need to go home." Karen nodded her head, and then started talking with whoever was on the other line, Karen really was a lifesaver. Nancy sat next to me and put her hand on my back for support. My phone rang, and I fumbled to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Edward, I just got here." Emmett said. I could hear the sirens in the background and the sounds of people's voices.

"Well what happened? Have you seen Bella? Is she okay? Please tell me she is okay?" I got up from the chair now.

Emmett didn't answer right away, and my heart sunk. "I think you should sit down for this, Edward."

"Just tell me what the hell happened, Emmett!"

"Okay, well I don't know too much, but they caught the guy, and they found Bella."

"And…"

"She is okay, a little banged up, and they are bringing her to the hospital now, Dad is going to meet her there."

"Who the hell did this to her?" I was stronger now that I knew she was at least alive. That was my worst fear, was that I would somehow lose her when I wasn't even there to attempt to save her. But now that I knew she was alive, I knew I could get through this. Nothing worse could happen now.

"According to the police it was a guy named Laurent Samuels. He is Jacob Black's second in command I guess, he has dreads and just looks like a real creeper." So this was because of Renee. I swear I am a good person. I know I am, I strive to be a good person, but I really would not mind if that bitch somehow disappeared. I feel so terrible even wishing someone's death, but really, what else was I going to think? She hurt my love too many times.

"Why was he after Bella?" I heard more commotion in the background, and Emmett didn't answer at first.

"I don't know, look I got to go, I will find out more, and I will call you."

"Well I am heading back soon, so I don't know if I will be on a plane."

"Call me before you board, and I will tell you what I know at that point."

"Okay, thank you. And Emmett?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure she knows I am coming for her, and protect my children. Tell them I love them."

* * *

"_Now boarding flight 315 for Seattle." _

I jumped up out of my seat and ran to the workers who were scanning our tickets and got onto the plane. I tried calling Emmett just seconds ago, but he was not answering. I was as anxious as ever when I got on that plane. I wanted to scream at all of the passengers that were just moseying down the aisles. Who cares that it is five in the morning? My wife was just attacked by someone who broke into our house! These people need to hurry up. But of course they didn't, and it took about a half an hour before the plane even started to take off.

I took out my iPod and tried to let the music sooth me for the next six hours, but it really wasn't working. I love music, but right now, it wasn't enough. Maybe if Liam or Peyton were here I would feel better. No, definitely if Peyton or Liam were here I would feel better. Liam is a talker and he would tell me all about his day, and funny stories, even if he has told them to me so many times. Peyton of course was my outgoing lady, she would also babble on about the most random things. Sometimes she talks so fast she gets it all jumbled up and I can't understand a word she says, but just hearing her cute little voice would do the trick. She would also most likely start a conversation with the older man that is now sitting next to me like she does all the time, again, ridiculously cute, and enough to distract her Dad from what is waiting for him at home.

I pushed my chair back and tried to fall asleep…again, not working. I decided to just think about Bella, and somehow send her calming, loving, and comforting vibes. God knows I would give anything to comfort her right now at this second. It feels good to know that my presence is sometimes enough to calm her, or make her feel better even in the slightest. I know it is not all the time, because she does turn to alcohol in some cases; but not in the beginning. In the beginning, I was her alcohol; as weird as it sounds. After she got back from her first time in rehab, and we became a couple, I was the one she turned to…

_~Flashback~ _

_**17 Years old, a week after Bella comes back**_

_Edward parked his car in the driveway; he grabbed his backpack, and jumped out of the car. He slid his keys in his pocket, and jogged up the front steps. He opened the door, and saw Bella waiting for him on the other side. She had her hands clenched to her sides, and she looked nervous, but she gave him a small smile. "Hey, love." He said._

_She smiled wider, and threw herself in his arms. She had her arms in a tight grip around his neck, and he held her close. "I missed you." She mumbled against his neck. He chuckled and told her the same. She pulled away slightly and kissed him on his lips. She let go of him completely, and stepped away. "I'm sorry; I attack you before you even get three steps in the door." She went back to looking nervous again, and Edward stepped forward and grabbed her hand. _

"_Don't apologize, Bella. I would have ran and found you, and then attacked you, so you saved me the time." Bella laughed, and he kissed her forehead. "Come upstairs with me." He started for the stairs, taking Bella along with him. He brought her to his room. Bella was staying in the guest room which was way down the hall. His room, and Bella's room were the farthest apart, but that was just the way it happened. Edward threw his backpack on his desk, and pulled Bella to lay with him on his bed. He laid flat on his back with his left hand behind his head, and his right wrapped around Bella who had her head on his chest. _

"_So how was school?" She asked. Bella wasn't starting school until this Monday. _

_Edward shrugged. "It was school." He laughed, and Bella did also, but very lightly. "I had a presentation in Chemistry today, and I was so nervous, but I did alright." _

"_Good job, baby." Bella mumbled. _

"_Thanks. But my history teacher thought it would be fun to give us a shit load of homework. You can help me with it though, because you understand it better than I do." Bella didn't answer at first. "Bella?" _

_Bella jumped slightly. "Hmm?" She lifted her head, and looked at Edward. "Oh, sorry, what were you saying?" _

"_Are you okay?" Edward asked worriedly. _

"_Yes, I'm fine, I'm just a little tired." She put her head back on Edward's chest. _

"_Did you have trouble sleeping last night?" _

_She shrugged. "No, not really." _

_Edward got up from lying down and Bella got up with him. He placed his finger under her chin, and lifted her face so she was looking at him. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes, and her blinks were long. He was just noticing now how tired she looks. "Bella…are you lying to me?" _

"_I'm just tired, Edward, geez." She was aggravated for some reason Edward didn't understand. She got up from the bed, and walked out, leaving Edward confused. He got up from the bed, and went after her. _

"_Bella…" She didn't answer though, and just shut the door to her bedroom down the hall. Edward walked down the stairs, not wanting to smother Bella. He thought giving her time to sort out whatever is bothering her was the right thing. He found his Mom in the kitchen. _

"_Hey, Edward." _

"_When did you get in?" _

"_Just a couple of minutes ago, why what's up? You look lost." _

_Edward sat down on the stool. "Bella." _

"_What happened?" _

"_I don't know really. We were in my room, and she was falling asleep on me, and I asked her if she got sleep, and she just flipped out on me." _

_Esme looked away, and nodded her head. "Oh." _

"_Wait, do you know something about this?" _

"_No." _

"_And now both of you have lied to me!" Edward got up from the stool, his voice was raised. _

"_Now just calm down, Edward." _

"_Well tell me what the hell is going on then." _

_Esme stepped closer to Edward and put her hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, and lower your voice." Edward sat back down on the chair, and took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I will tell you, but you have to promise not to confront Bella about it." _

_He shrugged. "Okay." _

"_Ever since Bella got back, she has been waking up screaming from nightmares." _

_Edward didn't answer at first because Esme's words rendered him speechless. He had no idea that Bella has been having nightmares, and he was living under the same roof as her. But after he thought about it, it made sense. He was a heavy sleeper, and their rooms were so far apart, there was no way he could have heard her. "How…how did I not know about this?" _

"_Because she didn't want you to know."_

"_What? That's ridiculous, why wouldn't she want me to know, I would have helped her!" _

"_Edward! You need to keep it down; she would be so upset with me if she knew I was telling you." _

_Edward shook his head, trying to figure out why this was happening. "Why is she trying so hard to keep this from me though?" _

_Esme sighed, and sat down next to Edward on the stool. "Well for one; she is embarrassed. And for two; she doesn't want to worry you." _

"_That doesn't make any sense." He buried his face in his hands, trying to figure out what was going on. _

"_She loves you, Edward, and she doesn't want to put extra stress on you." _

"_But I want to help her! It stresses me out more that she is keeping stuff from me and trying to deal with it on her own." He got up from the stool, and went to get a drink from the fridge. _

"_That is something you will have to discuss with Bella, but don't just come out and say it and embarrass her." _

_Edward took a sip of orange juice. "That's the last thing I want." _

* * *

_Edward sat down in front of his door from the inside. Bella ended up coming out of her room after a while, and then acted like nothing happened. Edward went along with it, because he didn't want to embarrass her, even though he didn't firmly understand what the big deal was. Now it was 11 at night, and Edward refused to go to sleep, he wanted to wait and see if Bella would scream in her sleep again, and he was going to help her. _

_It didn't take long before he heard her yells and screams. He shot up from the ground and whipped the door open, and jogged down the hall. As he got closer, her cries became louder, and Edward's heart beat faster. He opened the door to Bella's room, and ran onto her bed. Bella was screaming and thrashing around on her bed. Edward grabbed her arms, and tried to shake her awake. "Bella! Bella wake up, love." His voice was filled with hysteria. He knew this was coming, but actually seeing her caught in a dream that was obviously causing her pain was harder than he expected. "Bella!" Edward said louder, and Bella finally seemed to wake up with a gasp. She fell back into Edward's arms, and he wrapped his arms around her tight. _

_Bella was breathing deeply, trying to catch her breath, and once she had her sense back, she whipped around in Edward's arms. "Edward?" She pushed herself out of his arms, and scooted back on the bed. "What are you doing here?" _

"_I heard you screaming, Bella. Are you okay?" He scooted closer to her, and moved a piece of hair that fell out of her ponytail, and tucked it behind her ear. _

"_I'm fine, you should be sleeping." _

"_So should you." _

"_Touché." _

_Edward got even closer, and pulled Bella back in his arms. She relaxed against him, and sighed. "Why haven't you told me you have been having nightmares like this Bella?" _

"_Because they aren't even a big deal." She lowered her head so she wasn't making eye contact with Edward, but Edward wasn't having any of that. He lifted her face so they were looking at each other. _

"_Bella, you were screaming, that is a big deal to me." Bella tried moving her head down, but Edward held onto her chin. "Why do you keep looking away from me?" _

_A small sob escaped Bella's mouth, and tears started to fall. "Because I am embarrassed that's why." _

"_Oh Bella." He pulled her to his chest, and she held on tightly. "That doesn't make any sense. You have no reason to be embarrassed. Can you explain that to me, because I really don't get it." _

"_I just feel so weak, and I feel like a baby who has nightmares and needs someone to stay with her, and comfort her for no reason at all. It is just a dream, I know that but…" She stopped talking and groaned in frustration._

"_But what?" _

"_But they still scare me." She whimpered. _

"_So that is why you have to tell me about these things, Bella." He pushed back on the bed, and took Bella with him. He laid down, and made Bella lay down with him. Her back was to his front, and he held her close and secure. "Do you want to tell me what they are about?" _

"_No, not really." She sniffled, the tears still falling. _

"_Stop crying, beautiful." Bella smiled, and Edward kissed the side of her head. _

"_I'm sorry." _

"_Don't be sorry. I want to help you. Now what can I do?" _

_Bella shrugged. "I don't know, just being here really helps. I just usually have a hard time falling back asleep after I get up from them." _

_Edward contemplated what to do in his head. "What about if I sing?" Bella snorted, and Edward pinched her side. _

_Bella laughed. "Sorry, baby, but you aren't that good of a singer." _

_Edward chuckled lightly, and kissed the side of her head again. "What about if I hum then? I can't mess up humming, right?" _

_Bella turned herself in Edward's arms. She reached up, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "No, I don't think you can." She kissed him again. "But if you do, I am going to laugh at you." _

_Edward laughed, and held Bella close to his chest so her head was resting comfortably on his chest. "Fine, do it then." He rubbed his hands up and down her back. He started humming a random tune. There was no song he was humming after, it was more like he was just humming whatever came out in that moment, and that worked for Bella. She could feel the vibration of the sound on his chest, and the sound soothed her more than she thought possible. She was just about to drift off when he stopped. "Is this okay? " He whispered. _

"_It's perfect." She took his arm off of her side, and brought his hand to her mouth, and kissed it. "You're perfect. I love you." She mumbled. _

"_I love you more." Bella would have fought him on that notion, but he immediately started humming again and she got lost in the sound. She snuggled closer to his chest, and eventually fell into a peaceful sleep. _

_~End Flashback~_

I stayed in Bella's room every night after that until we moved out after we graduated. My parents never said anything about it, because they trusted us. We never did anything that parents don't want their kids doing when they share a room together. We didn't even have sex until the first night we moved into our first apartment. Sure we did other things, but never at night time, because the night was our down time to just be with each other, and I hummed to Bella every night. I didn't have to hum to her that much when we moved into our apartment though and I haven't done it in years. I would give anything to hum for her now though. I am sure she is really shook up with what happened.

Now all I have to do is wait.

* * *

My luggage was taking forever to make its appearance on the belt. I stood waiting anxiously, tapping my foot as I waited. I was contemplating just going without it when it finally showed up. I grabbed it, and jogged to get out of there. People were looking at me weird, but I didn't care. I went out the front, and Jasper was waiting for me there with the trunk already open, and he was waiting in the driver's seat. I threw my stuff in the back, and ran to the door. I got in. "Hey, how is Bella?"

Jasper pulled out of his spot, and we made it on the highway. I only live about 10 minutes from the airport, and I felt better knowing I was so close to her. "She is…okay."

He seemed like he didn't even understand what he was saying, like he was lying. This made me so nervous. "What do you mean?"

"Julia is at the house, you will need to talk to her, Edward." I was about to yell at him from keeping something from me, because I knew he was. Just by the way he was acting and talking, there was something more he wasn't telling me. So I was about to yell, but his phone rang. He answered it right away.

"Hello…yeah I just picked him up…we are going to his house…before we go there?...okay, I will…bye." He put his phone back in his pocket, and turned to me. "We have to go to Emmett's first…"

"What the fuck? Why? I need to get to Bella." I interrupted him.

"Edward, you need to calm down, and let me finish my sentence. We need to go to Emmett's because your children are freaking out." I felt like such a horrible father in that moment. Here I am struggling with what happened to Bella, and I didn't even think about how my children were feeling. I groaned, and buried my face in my hands. "Liam is lashing out at everyone because they are not telling him the whole thing of course, and Peyton is feeding off of that, and she is just not herself."

"What do they know?"

"We told Liam that Bella was sick."

I knew that wasn't enough for Liam, because to him, Bella being sick is when she is throwing up at night. So I understand why he would be lashing out, he is smarter than that. He knows something is wrong with her. But I couldn't blame my family for what they told him…they didn't know. "Okay, well just hurry up." Jasper nodded his head, and we were at Emmett's in no time. I jumped out of the car before Jasper could turn it off. I could hear Liam yelling at someone.

"Leave me alone! I want my Mommy! Not you!" I ran faster up the steps and ran to where I heard his voice. His back was to me, and he was yelling at Rosalie. Peyton was standing on the side of Renee with her little hands over her ears. I could see the tear stains on her cheeks. She saw me first, and took her hands off of her ears.

"Daddy!" She screamed in relief and happiness. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding in, and crouched down to take her in my arms. Her warm little body was clinging to me, and I inhaled her scent…the scent of home. Oh how I missed my baby. Liam whipped his head around after she ran at me, and he too had tears stains on his cheeks, but now more were falling. He ran at me as well, and there was more than enough room for both of them in my arms. It was where they belonged.

"Oh God, Daddy missed you guys." I held them both incredibly tight in my arms.

Liam lifted his head to look at me. The tears that sliced through my heart were still falling from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Dad."

I pushed some of his dark hair out of his sweating face. "What are you sorry for, bud?"

"Because I didn't protect Mommy like you told me too! It was my job and now Mommy is hurt!" He broke down crying at the end, and he put his head back on my shoulder. Peyton, my sweet little girl, rubbed her small hand on Liam's back.

"Liam." I called, but he didn't answer. "Liam, look at me bud." He finally lifted his head to look at me. "I want you to listen to me, and listen to me good, okay?" He nodded his head. "This is in no way your fault, do you understand?"

"But…"

"No. I am your father, and I promise I won't ever lie to you. This is not your fault, and I don't ever want to hear you say it is." He didn't say anything, but he looked down. "Liam." He looked back up at me. "This is not your fault."

"Dis not your fauwt, Wiam." Peyton said in the most motherly tone a two year old can muster.

Liam looked at Peyton for a long second and then looked back at me. "Okay."

"That's my boy." I kissed his head, and then got up, lifting both of them in my arms. I walked over to Rosalie who was still standing in her same spot, watching us, but now Emmett was holding her. "Now I want you to apologize to your aunt, and anyone else that you yelled at, or misbehaved with."

"I'm sorry, Aunty Rose."

Rosalie smiled, and kissed his head. "It's okay, honey."

He then turned to Emmett. "I'm sorry, Uncle Emmett."

Emmett ruffled his hair. "It's okay, sport."

"I sowwy Auny Wose." Peyton said, and we all looked at her in confusion.

"Why are you saying sorry, princess?" I asked.

"It was my tuwn!" She lifted her arms to her side and shrugged.

"But you don't have to say sorry, you did nothing wrong." Liam told her, and amused expression now on his face.

Peyton smiled and cute half smile, and hit her forehead with the palm of her hend. "Woops. Siwwy Peyton." We all laughed; leave it to Peyton to lighten the mood, even if only for a moment.

I kissed her cheek. "You are silly, baby." I said and she giggled. "Okay, well I have to go." Now that I knew they were both doing better, I now had to go see Bella.

"But you just got here!" Liam said.

"I know, I will be back as soon as I can, I am just going to go check on your Mom."

"I want to go!" Liam said.

"No, not right now, bud. Later; I promise."

He sighed. "Fine, but give her a big big kiss for me."

"Me too!" Peyton said. I kissed them both one more time, and then placed them both back on the floor.

"We got them, just call us, okay?" Emmett asked.

"Of course."

* * *

We got to my house in no time, and I ran to the door much like I did at Emmett's. I was met at the door by my parents and Alice. I think the kids were staying with Jasper and Rosalie's family because I haven't seen any of them. I could tell all three of them have been crying, and I felt my heart sink once again. If Bella was okay, why were they all so messed up? That brought back my idea that there was something they were not telling me.

"Where is she?" I asked.

My Dad answered. "She is upstairs." I went for the steps, but he stepped in front of me to hold me back.

"What the hell, Dad!"

"Wait."

"I am not waiting. I need to see her." It was like my whole being could feel her presence so close, but there was nothing I could do. My whole body was like a magnet right now, gravitating toward her.

"You can't go up there right now."

"What the hell!" I was about to say more, but then Julia came down the stairs.

"Edward. Come with me please." She said. She gave a glance to everyone else in the room, and I knew in that moment for sure they knew something I didn't, and it was not good. I walked up the steps, following Julia, and she brought me to our guest bedroom. I thought she was bringing me to Bella, but the room was empty.

"Where is she?"

"She is in your room, but I need to talk to you, Edward. Please sit." I knew there was no fighting with her, and I wanted to know the specifics of how Bella is, and to know what they are keeping from me. "So you were on the phone with Bella when this happened?"

"Yes, I heard her scream, and then the line went dead."

She nodded her head, like she expected that answer. "Okay, the man in the house was Laurent Samuels. I suspect you haven't been in your kitchen?" I shook my head. "Just so you know, this man has obviously been caught thanks to Bella's phone call to the cops."

"Good, but what was he doing here."

"They were using Bella as bait. According to what the police found out, Renee didn't pay them back the money she owed, they got pissed obviously. Renee is nowhere to be found, so they went for what they thought would be the next best thing; her daughter."

I brought both of my hands to my hair, and pulled lightly. "But that doesn't make any sense! Anyone with eyes or half a brain knows that Renee doesn't give a damn about Bella."

"I am not going to go into how the mind of a drug dealer works, Edward. By him attacking Bella, he was sending a sign to Renee. We know this because he confessed, and he spray painted their gang symbol on your refrigerator."

"Are you kidding?"

"No, I kid you not."

"So how is Bella really? I know she is alive, thank God, but what are the specifics?"

Julia sighed, and sat down next to me. She looked nervous, and when a therapist looks nervous, you get nervous. "Bella was beat up pretty bad. She has a black eye, a contusion on her shoulder, but the worst was the damage to her stomach and ribs where he kicked her repeatedly." My whole body tensed up, and a lump formed in my throat. It took everything inside of me not to bolt from that room. A part of me wanted to find that sick bastard and just kill him, and the other part of me, the one that was consuming me more now, was the urge to go to Bella, and take her pain away. "The stomach wounds are the ones that did the most damage…." She let the last word linger, like there was more.

"What? What else? I know there is more!" I was agitated, and I raised my voice. I didn't mean to take my anger out on her, but I couldn't help it.

"You need to calm down."

"I'm sorry."

"Okay, I will just say it." She turned toward me. "She was pregnant, Edward."

My breath caught. "No."

"She was Edward."

Was…was…was…was…was…"No."

"Edward she was a month along. She had no idea…until…"

"No." This was not what I was expecting. This was a stabbing pain unlike anything I have felt before. I would compare it to the pain I believe I would feel if something happened to Liam and Peyton, because they were my children. I lost a child. No matter how small or barely developed that angel was; it was no longer with us. We lost our baby. Our child.

"Edward, Bella miscarried."

"I already fucking know that." I snapped. I was holding in my emotions right now; I had no other choice. I wasn't the only one who lost a child, so did Bella, so we would deal with this together…hopefully.

"I'm sorry."

"Bella…"

"That is what I need to talk to you about. I know you want to see her." I nodded furiously. "Well there are things you need to know. Of course Bella was devastated after the miscarriage, but she is actually showing signs of PTSD."

"What is that?"

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You need to know going in there that Bella is not herself right now at all. She is almost catatonic. She is barely talking, and when she does, she doesn't know what is going on around her. She is sort of in a serious state of denial. Her mind has blocked out what happened as a way to protect herself. So I would not say anything about the baby unless she brings it up, and then ease her into talking about it."

I shook my head in disbelief. My poor Bella, where is she? "Anything else I need to know?"

"I don't know how long this will last, but hopefully not too long. But with Bella's past, and her drinking issues, I think it is safe to guess this will be a long, hard road for her to get over."

And I knew she was right. Bella will beat herself up over this. Bella's words from after Peyton's surgery came rushing back to my head.

"_I could never live with myself if I ever hurt one of my children again."_

Of course she didn't hurt this baby intentionally, but I know Bella well enough to know that she was going to blame herself for this, and that scares me more than I can say. "Can I go see her now?"

"Of course, I will be downstairs if you need me." She put a hand on my shoulder for support, but it didn't help. I appreciated her effort though. I walked out of the room, and waited outside the bedroom door to really hold myself together for what I was going to see. I finally opened the door, and Bella was sitting up in bed. She had her head resting on the headboard, and she had her feet crossed in front of her. She immediately looked at me when I walked in, and I could see her black eye. A cry was just waiting to come out, but I pushed it back. I need to hold it together. For her.

"Edward!" She said happily. I knew this wasn't my Bella in there. My Bella would not be happy right now. But this is what has happened, and I need to deal with it, and take what I can get. My Bella was in there somewhere, and I will show her as much love and support as I can right now.

She had her arms open for me, so I walked to sit next to her on the bed, facing her. "Hello, beautiful." She wrapped her arms around my neck, and held me close. I put my arms around her, but didn't hold her as tight as I would have liked, because I knew her stomach was in bad shape. She pulled away, and kissed me on my lips.

"I missed you, baby. How was New York?"

This really is killing me. She really blocked it out, she doesn't even know. How am I supposed to act like nothing happened? I will need to try. I will try my hardest. "It was good."

"That's great! But I am happy you are home. I missed you so much. So did the kids. Did you see them? Where are they?" She started to panic.

"Shh…they are fine, love. They are at Emmett's."

She calmed down. "Okay, good, they have fun there."

It was getting harder and harder to keep this up. "Yeah." She yawned. "Are you tired, love?"

She laughed lightly. "Have I told you how much I love that you call me 'love'?"

"You have before."

"Well I just told you again!" This Bella scares me. I would take drunk Bella over this Bella any day. This delirious and just completely lost Bella hurt me to see. "And yeah, I am tired." She rested her head on my shoulder, and I was momentarily blinded by what was going on. I grabbed onto that blindness and held it with me for a while. I am going to try and act with her. If this is what she needs right now, then that is what I will give her. This Bella was happy, so I will try and keep her this way at least for a little while. This was scary happy, but I will take what I can get. This woman is so precious to me.

I gently lifted her face with both of my hands. My hands were barely touching her cheek so I didn't somehow hurt her. Her so beautiful face was looking back at me. Her beauty not dented at all by the blue bruise around her eye. I leaned forward and placed a feather light kiss over the spot; kissing it better. I pulled away, and then kissed her forehead, and then her lips. "Why don't you lay down, beautiful, and go to sleep." I whispered.

"Will you stay with me?"

"There is nowhere else I would go."

"Well I need to change; can you get me one of your shirts that I can wear?" I nodded my head, and kissed her forehead one more time. I lifted the t-shirt off of my back, and put it to the side. I kicked my shoes off, along with my jeans, leaving me in my boxers, my now three dog chains dangling from my neck. I reached forward, and lifted Bella's shirt up over her head. I looked at her face the entire time so I could hold off seeing the bruises around her torso. She had her sweatpants on, but other than that, she was now just in her bra. I started at her shoulder, and saw a bruise there in the shape of a hand; a man's hand. I leaned forward, and kissed it. I let my lips linger there for a second while I tried to hold in my emotions.

"I love you." I whispered against her skin. I felt her hand go to my hair, and she lifted my face to look at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked with so much concern, the concern that _my _Bella would show, and I nearly broke in that moment.

"I am okay, love." I kissed her lips, and then took a deep breath before looking down at the rest of her body. Her whole stomach was pretty much blue. Some places were darker than others, and that was where his foot hit her. I want to kill him so bad. "Lay back, beautiful." She listened, and laid back. I made a trail of kisses down her body starting at her shoulder, down her chest, in between her breasts, and finally down to her stomach. I kissed her stomach, and that was when I broke. I broke as I was kissing the spot where my child was supposed to grow. Everything hit me at once, and a sob broke out of my mouth, and tears instantly started falling. I wanted to collapse on top of Bella, and just hold her. Holding her I knew would ease the pain, but I couldn't even do that without physically hurting her.

I felt her hands on my face, and she lifted my face to look at her again. "Edward, why are you crying?"

I climbed up so my face was in front of hers, but I put no pressure on her body. I held myself up on my arms, but I just needed to look at her. I couldn't tell her I was crying because we lost a child. I couldn't tell her I was crying because I was scared of what is going to happen to her in the future. I couldn't tell her I was crying because I felt my whole world begin to crumble all around me. I couldn't tell her I was crying because I was afraid I was losing her; I couldn't tell her she was scaring me right now by the way she was acting. But I could tell her the only truth that would hopefully comfort the both of us. "I am crying because I love you so much, Bella."

She looked confused, but it was the truth. I love her so much. It was an irrevocable and incredible feeling, and it is because I love her that all of these emotions are coming out of me right now. We are one person really. She is hurt, so I am hurt. She lost a child, I lost a child. Her world is crumbling, and so is mine. But I was the only one who could help her right now. I need to do what I can to hold my family together through the obstacles we were about to face.

I need to do this.

I will do this…somehow.

* * *

**Just stick with me here people! I know things seem horrible right now, but I never said this whole story would be fluffy times and sunshine. The genre is Angst/Drama, so I hope you all will stick with me. I SWEAR A HEA! It will just take a lot to get there. **

**Also, I have decided to add a playlist of songs to my profile for this story. So let me know if there is a song, video, or whatever that reminds you of this story, and you will be credited for it! **

**Review please! Last chapters reviews made me happy! **

**I will update Monday :]**


	23. Chapter 22: A Father's Work

_**Chapter 22: A Father's Work  
October 12, 2009**_

EPOV

"Daddy." I heard a little voice whisper. "Daddy, it's me, Peyton." I rolled over in my bed and groaned; I was so fucking tired. "Daddy, I need to go to the potty." I looked over at Bella, and saw she was still sleeping. She probably would be until at least noon time. I swung my legs over the bed and rubbed my eyes. It was six in the morning; I fell asleep at three. "Daddy I is going to have a assident." Peyton's voice came once again from the baby monitor. She was too little to move on to a big girl bed, so she was still in her crib, which meant she couldn't go to the bathroom on her own. We told her to call us through the monitor, and she utilized it well.

I got up from the bed, and walked as quickly and quietly as I could to her room. She was standing in her crib bouncing up and down biting her lip. I smiled and walked over to her and took her in my arms. "I'm sorry I took so long, baby."

"Dat's okay, just go!" I let out a small laugh, and it felt good. Times have been rough, and I only really laugh or smile when I am with Liam or Peyton. Bella was not doing good at all. It hasn't even been a full two weeks since that whole thing happened, and she was already drinking again. "Daddy don't look!" Peyton yelled after I got her in the bathroom. I was pulled out of my thoughts by her, and I was glad for the distraction.

I turned so I was facing the door. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

I opened the medicine cabinet, and took my razor out while she did her business. "Daddy, I all done." I turned towards her, helped her down, wiped her, and pulled her underwear and pants up. I looked up at her and she was pushing the hair out of her face with both hands. I think we may need to trim it soon; her hair grows fast.

"Do you want to go back to bed, princess?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I want to pway!"

I laughed, and lifted her off the ground. I flushed the toilet, and then placed her on the counter. She was sitting on the edge and swinging her little legs. "Well we can't play right now, baby, Daddy has work today so I need to get ready." Today was my first day back to work since I got back from New York. Mitchell was pretty pissed that I left early. He told me he understood why I left, but he was working hard for me to become known in the business. He said it was like I was laughing in his face. That made me feel really bad, because that wasn't it at all. I appreciated all he had done for me, but my family comes first. End of story.

Peyton sighed. "Fine." I smiled and kissed her cheek.

"You can stay in here while I shave if you want."

She lifted her little hand and rubbed my cheek that was full of stubble. I really haven't had time to shave in a while. She scrunched up her nose. "Yeah, you need to take that off."

I laughed, and got the shaving cream out. "Do you want to help me?" I asked, and her face lit up.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

I can't believe this adorable little girl is mine. "Okay, put your hand out and cup it like this." I showed her how to do it with my hand, and she did the same. I squirted some shaving cream in her hand. "Hold on." I told her, and she nodded. I put some on my hand, and rubbed it on my right cheek. "Now rub it on my face like this." She paid rapt attention to what I was doing, and she nodded. She lifted her hand, and gently rubbed it on my left cheek. "Good job, baby."

She laughed in excitement, and brought both her hands together to clap. She still had shaving cream on her hand though, so some of it got all over me, her, and the mirror. She laughed even harder, and I laughed too. It really did feel good to laugh. It was a rarity these days.

"Woops! Sowwy!" She said while still laughing. I wiped the shaving cream off her face with my clean hand. I rinsed the shaving cream off of her hand and my hand, and started shaving. Peyton watched me in silence, but she looked really interested. "Can I twy?"

"Uh…" Give my two year old a razor? No. But I can't say no to her. "Sure, but I will need to help you."I handed her the razor, and she gripped the handle with her little hand. I put my hand over hers, and brought it to my face. I guided her hand down my cheek, and she was biting her lip in concentration. I continued with her like that until I was finished. "Good job, baby! You are a good helper!"

"I know!" I rinsed the razor, and put it away. I wiped my face and hands, and then scooped Peyton up and threw her over my shoulder. She squealed and giggled, and I jogged lightly down the stairs with her. It was 6:30 now, so I decided that making breakfast would probably be a good idea since Liam would be awake at seven. Who knows when Bella will be awake…

I have to drop Liam off at school at eight, and then I need to be at work by eight-thirty. I am going into work late, but that means I will have to also work later. Hopefully I can get enough done to get home earlier. My Mom was coming over until Liam got out of school, and then my Dad was going to take over. Like I said, Bella was not doing good at all. She was drinking again, but it was so different from all of the times before. Now Bella drank at any time of the day. Her drinking times are sporadic, and unpredictable, which is why my parents are coming over during the day. There were no more stages to Bella's drinking, now she is just quiet and not there when she is drunk. I think this change is because of the depression.

Bella's denial and delirium lasted two days. I was with her the whole entire time. The kids saw her, and Liam freaked out about her black eye, but he was happy to see her. Peyton was still so innocent and unaware of what was going on around her, so she was just happy to see Bella. But she woke up on the second night screaming and crying. I was already awake because I had been unable to sleep properly since all of that happened, even to this day. I panicked, and took her in my arms trying to sooth her, but she just broke down. She sobbed and cried to the point where it was hard for her to breath. She kept on repeating 'my baby, my baby' or 'my fault, my fault' over and over again. I tried to comfort her with my arms and my words, but nothing worked. I told her it wasn't her fault, I told her to stop crying, I told her to think of our beautiful children who were here, I told her over and over again how much I love her, and how much I wish I could take her pain away and deal with it myself. Nothing worked.

After a while she just stopped crying, and then she became emotionless, really. She slumped in my arms, and just stared off into nowhere. I kept on telling her I loved her, and every now and then she told me she loved me too, and I can't explain how good it felt to hear those words at that moment. At that moment I was holding my wife in my arms, but it seemed like she wasn't even there. But when she muttered those words, it gave me a little hope. It made me realize that my Bella was in there somewhere, she was just hidden by her pain.

She stayed like that—emotionless—every day after that. I called Julia, and I wanted to crawl into a ball and block the world away when she told me Bella was showing signs of clinical depression. She told me she thought it has been building up for so long now, but it finally hit her in full effect after that asshole broke into our house and we lost our baby.

I took a box of cereal out of the cabinet. "Daddy wook what I can do." I turned around to see Peyton standing by our new fridge. I had to buy a new fridge and new cabinets because of the work that Samuels guy did in the kitchen. That of course put another dent in my bank account, and for the first time in a long time I began to worry about our financial situation. Peyton got to her tip toes, and reached up for the handle of the fridge. She walked away from it, and pulled the door open. She opened it all the way, and then looked at me with a proud smile. She never used to know how to open the fridge. "Did you see me?"

"I saw you, princess. Who taught you how to do that?" I asked while opening the box of Cheerios.

"Wiam did! He taught me yesterday."

"Well I am proud of you honey, but you can't take anything out without someone helping you, okay?"

"Okay!" I took the milk out of the fridge, and Peyton turned around and started dancing. Peyton was my little ballerina. She has been going to a dance class for little ones like her. She wouldn't have her first recital until next year though when she is three, but she has no problem showing anyone her moves. Ballet fit for her because it was less intense compared to other dance styles, and she was good at it if I do say so myself. I placed her bowl of cereal on her tray of the high chair and then put her in it. I picked up a little pink elastic from the living room and put her long hair up so she wouldn't be eating it. "Tank you, Daddy." She said.

I kissed her forehead. "You're welcome, beautiful. I am going to wake up your brother, okay?" She nodded her head, and I put the radio on for her so she wasn't sitting alone in silence. She started bobbing her head to the music, and continued eating. I jogged up the stairs quietly. I opened the door to mine and Bella's room to get my clothes so I could change quickly. I got my black suit out with my red shirt and black tie. I got dressed as quickly as I could. I was tucking my shirt in when I heard Bella.

"Edward…" I knew she was sleeping. Bella has been talking in her sleep a lot lately. I love it. When she was awake, she didn't say much anymore. Emotionless. Every now and then she would talk and have an actual conversation with me, but I couldn't help but feel her pulling away from me. I tried to brush that off though because it was too painful to think of. I walked up to Bella, and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. I brushed her hair out of her face and watched her for a minute she really only seemed at peace when she was sleeping. She sighed when I touched her face, and her mouth lifted just a little bit. That was the closest to a smile I have seen from her in about two and a half weeks.

I leaned forward and placed a long, soft kiss on her forehead. I lowered my head down and rested my forehead against hers. She was still sleeping, but it felt good to be close to her. "I love you." I whispered.

She sighed, still asleep. "My Edward." She whispered. I smiled, it wasn't an 'I love you', but it was close enough. I kissed her head again, and then got up. I picked up my suit jacket and walked out of the room. I went into Liam's room, and he was sleeping as he usually does; his hands behind his head. I walked up to him, and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Liam." I called out softly, he didn't move so I called out a little louder, and shook him a little. "Liam it's time to wake up, bud." He finally started stirring. He took his hands out from behind his head and stretched and yawned.

"Hi, Dad." He mumbled sleepily.

"Good morning, why don't you get up and get dressed. Peyton is already downstairs eating."

"What about Mommy?" He asked hopefully. Bella wasn't the only one who has made a drastic change around her. Liam, my little man, has not been himself. He hasn't been laughing and joking as much as usual, and it was because he was so sad to see Bella the way she has been. He is older than Peyton, so he really notices the difference in Bella. He loves her so much, it has been effecting him also. He was constantly questioning me about Bella, and he was just sadder these days. I was really starting to worry about the condition of my family. I have been trying so fucking hard these past weeks to hold us together and get some sort of normalcy, but I can't help but feel like I am failing.

"She is sleeping, bud. But come on, you have to get ready for school." He sighed sadly and got up from the bed. He went to his drawer, and started going through his clothes. I walked up behind him. I opened the drawer next to the one he was looking at to get his jeans out for him.

"Stop!" I jumped at his loud command, and took my hands out of the drawer. "I don't need your help." He said with a bad attitude. A part of me felt bad and wanted to hug him, because I knew he was having a hard time with what is happening to Bella, but the other part of me knew that I couldn't let him get away with talking to me like that. I am his father after all, and he needs to learn respect.

"Would you like to rephrase that, Liam?"

"No."

"Liam Edward Cullen, you do not talk to me like that. I am not your friend, I am your father. Now you better say sorry to me."

"No."

"Fine, no TV or video games when you get home from school today."

"What? That is so not fair!"

I walked away from him, and stopped at the door. "What's not fair is the way you just spoke to me. Do it again, and I will make it a week. You don't talk to me or any adult like that…ever." He huffed and turned away from me. I walked out of the room to give him some space. I leaned against the door once I closed it. I hate yelling at him, but I knew it had to be done. No one said being a father was going to be easy. I remember I used to hate when my father yelled at me…but now that I am older and a father myself…I understood…

_~Flashback~_

_**5 Years Old**_

"_Hey Mom, can you take me and Bella to the park?" Edward asked from the back seat as Elizabeth was driving both him and Bella home from school. _

"_No honey, I have some work to do." Elizabeth worked from home so she could be with Edward. _

"_Aw come on, Mom, we have been in school all day and we need some fun!" _

"_I am sorry, baby, but I can't." _

"_Ugh…that is so unfair." Edward said and crossed his arms in front of him…a pout on his face. _

"_It's okay, Edward, we can find other stuff to do." Bella said. _

"_Yeah other boring stuff." _

"_Edward Anthony Cullen Jr., you better get rid of that nasty attitude you have going on." Elizabeth said firmly, looking at Edward through the rear view mirror. Edward huffed and looked out the window. His five year old self was upset he wasn't getting what he wanted. _

_Elizabeth was pulling up to the house, and Edward got out of the car, and stomped to the front door. He accidently pushed Bella a little bit when he walked past her, but Bella didn't say anything, and Edward was still so mad. "Sorry." He mumbled, and kept stomping to the door._

"_You are walking a fine line there, Edward. Say sorry to Bella." _

"_I did!" _

"_Oh you wait until your father gets home." Elizabeth said. _

_Edward walked into the house, and Bella followed him even though he was being difficult. Unfortunately, at five years old, Bella had already dealt with more difficult people than an upset little boy. Edward went to the cabinet and took out two packs of fruit snacks, he took one and gave the other to Bella. They both sat at the table, and Edward was still clearly mad. _

"_Edward…we don't have to go to the park. Please don't be mad anymore." _

"_But I am mad Bella." _

"_Why? _

_Edward looked at Bella like she had two heads. "Uh...because we can't go to the park." _

_Bella shrugged. "So what? My Mom never brings me to the park, I don't get mad." _

_Edward didn't know what to say to that so he just rolled his eyes and started eating his fruit snacks. "Hey Bella?" _

"_Yeah." She said as she put a fruit snack in her mouth. _

"_My Mom and Dad have been working a lot…do you think it is because they don't want to spend time with me?" Edward asked tentatively. _

"_Are you kidding? Your parents like you a lot!" _

_Edward shrugged. "My Dad works all day, and so does my Mom. I only really see them both at dinner, and when I go to bed."_

"_But you see them on weekends." Edward nodded his head. "There are some days I don't see my Mom." _

"_Really?" Edward asked, like the news was unlike anything he has heard before. Bella nodded and ate another fruit snack, her eyes no longer on Edward, but instead on the table top. "Why?" _

_She shrugged. "She goes out with friends, she brings boys to her room, and she has parties that I am not invited to." _

"_I'm sorry, Bella." Bella nodded. "But your Mom still likes you right?" _

_Bella thought about it for a minute. She thought about her time alone, but she also thought of the times her Mom would let her hug her…even if only for a second. She remembered when Renee would give her a carton of takeout food when she got home…even though she screamed at her for eating it the next day. She also thought about how she told her she didn't have to clean the dishes…even though she was sick with the flu. _

"_Yeah, I think she likes me." _

* * *

_Edward and Bella were running around Edward's back yard in circles; they were having a contest to see who could run the longest. Edward was now chasing Bella, and she ran faster away from him and was laughing hysterically. Edward was also laughing, and they were having fun together, the new friends enjoying each other's company. Soon Bella tripped, and then Edward tripped over here. Edward got up fast and crawled over to Bella._

"_Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked frantically. _

_Bella was still laughing. "No…I am fine. I told you I fall a lot." Edward remembers the day they both met only two weeks ago when he saw her fall out of the trampoline and she told him it happened a lot. _

"_Yeah." _

"_Can I tell you a secret?" Bella asked. _

"_Yeah." _

"_I have a lot of fun with you, Edward." _

_Edward smiled. "That isn't really a secret. I have fun with you too." _

"_Yeah, but you are the only friend I ever had in my whole life." _

_Edward looked confused. "But what about Emmett and Alice?" _

_Bella shrugged. "They are nice, but I am not really their good friend. I only go to their house sometimes." _

"_Well I am glad I am you're my friend, Bella." They stood in silence once again, and just laid on the grass. "Hey do you want to see me jump off of the top of the monkey bars?" Edward asked, referring to the small play set that was in his back yard. _

"_No! You will get hurt." _

"_Nosa." He says and goes to walk over to the monkey bars. He climbs up to the top, and then balances himself on his hands. He starts to lift his leg to stand on the top when the back door flung open. _

"_Edward! Don't you even think about it young man." Edward Sr. yelled as he came storming into the back yard. Edward put his foot back down, and looked over at his father. _

"_Dad!" _

"_Get down from there right now, Edward." He said as he stood by the play set to make sure Edward didn't fall. Edward climbed down, and stood in front of his father. He looked up to him and smiled. _

"_Hi, Dad." _

"_What were you doing up there?" Edward Sr. asked with his hands on his hips…he did not look happy. _

"_I was just going to jump." Edward said honestly. He __didn't think he was doing anything wrong. _

"_I don't want to see you do that ever again, do you hear me?" He yelled. _

"_But why?" _

"_You could have hurt yourself!" _

"_No I wouldn't!" _

"_You could have broken an arm, or a leg, or you could have hurt your neck." Edward Sr. was yelling and Bella put her hands over her ears. Edward Sr. pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a deep breath trying to calm himself. "What you did was dangerous, Edward." _

"_No it wasn't! It isn't even that high." _

"_Stop talking back like that, Edward. And your Mom tells me you were being fresh earlier, and now you are talking back." Edward didn't say anything. "I think that you should go up to your room and think about your actions, and your attitude." _

"_But what about Bella!" _

"_She will be fine for as long as you will be in there." Edward glared at his father, and then walked past him and stomped back into the house. _

_~End Flashback_

Looking back I realize I was pretty much just being a spoiled brat. But at that age, that isn't something kids understand. I understand completely why my Dad blew up at me that day. If I were to look out the back window and see Peyton or Liam standing on top of the monkey bars, I think I would have flipped my shit. I probably could have made that jump without any harm, but all I know is that I would not allow Liam or Peyton to take that chance. The thought of them being hurt in any form is too painful. It is times like these where I was being a father to my children that I wish my Dad was here so I could just thank him. If I could somehow say one more thing to my father, it would be thank you for being such a wonderful father to me for such a short time.

I walked back downstairs, and Peyton was still eating her small bowl of Cheerios. "You still eating that, baby?"

"Almost done, I just dancing." I should have known that putting the music on would have distracted her from eating. I smiled, and started to get Liam's bowl of cereal ready. I heard his feet coming down the stairs. "Wiam!" Peyton said excitedly. She loves her big brother.

I didn't hear Liam say anything, but I soon felt a tug on my pant leg. I looked down at Liam. "I'm sorry for being rude to you, Daddy."

I squatted down in front of him so I was eye level with him. "Thank you, buddy. I accept your apology, and you understand that you can't be giving people that kind of attitude right?" He nodded his head. "Good. You are still punished though, okay?"

"But…"

"No, you are still punished, Liam. You did good by saying sorry, but you shouldn't have done it in the first place." He sighed and nodded his head in defeat. "Now come and give me a kiss and a hug good morning." He gave me a crooked smile, and he hugged me. I held my boy close and turned my head to kiss the side of his head. "I love you, son."

"Love you too, Dad." I let go of him, and he walked over to Peyton and she started gabbing away him about him. He listened to her, and answered her even though I had no idea what they were talking about. I put Liam's cereal on the table, and he began eating while still talking to Peyton. I heard a knock at the front door, and I went to answer it. My Mom was on the other side smiling.

"Hello, Edward."

"Hey, Mom." She gave me a quick hug, and walked into the house. She went straight for the kids, and kissed them a million times like all grandmothers do. I went back upstairs to grab my keys and cell phone. Bella was still sleeping, and I kissed her one more time and went back downstairs. "You almost ready, Liam?" He nodded his head and continued eating.

"Edward? Can you come with me to the living room for a second?" My Mom asked, looking concerned. I nodded my head, and walked into the living room. She put her hand on my face and traced her fingers under my eyelids. "I love you, honey, but you look terrible."

"Thanks, Mom." I said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but I worry about you. You are running yourself ragged."

"I'm fine." I said stubbornly. No one needs to be worrying about me right now. Liam and Bella are having rougher times.

"You're not. You are a wonderful father and husband Edward, but there comes a time when you have to take care of yourself also. Maybe today after work you can call your brother and you guys can go out."

"No." I tried to just walk away, but she pulled me back. I don't know why she is fighting me on this. There is no way I am going out to have 'fun' while my wife is drinking and depressed, my son is growing up faster than he should in front of my eyes, and I need to protect my little girl from anything that will change her. There are more important things in life than having 'fun'. Sometimes life isn't 'fun'. Life becomes very un-fun when you pretend nothing is wrong, and instead of dealing with things, you go have 'fun'.

"Edward…"

"Mom." I interrupted her. "I know you are only trying to help, but I have too much going on here to be going out with the guys."

"How many hours of sleep did you get last night?"

"What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I will have your father stay here even when you get home. That way he can take care of the kids and Bella. That way you can sleep."

"That is ridiculous, Mom."

"Edward…"

"Mom, please just leave it alone. If Dad wants to stay the night, that's fine, whatever, but I will not be going to sleep when I can be taking care of my wife, and being with my kids."

She lifted her hands up in surrender. "Fine, don't listen to your Mom then. Go to work, honey, I will call you later."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Mom. Just let me deal with this, okay?"

"Okay, but I am always here for you, Edward."

"I know."

* * *

"Edward, these papers need to be signed like now." Karen said and put yet another stack of papers in front of me before walking back out. I now had a headache. Not going to work for two weeks and then coming back to all this crap to do sucks. I started skimming the papers and signing them as fast as I could.

Karen came back in. "Your father is on line two." I picked up the phone with my left hand, while signing with my right. I pressed the two.

"Hello?"

"Edward, are you really busy?"

"Nope, what is it, Dad?" Okay, so maybe that was a lie, but I needed to know what was going on at home.

"Well everyone is fine, but I just picked up Liam, and he got a note sent home by his teacher. He has to stay after school tomorrow."

"What? Why?" I signed yet another paper, and an e-mail popped up on my scream.

_Mitchell wants you in his office ASAP –Karen_

Fuck.

"He hasn't done his homework since last Wednesday." It was Monday. How did I not know about this? I asked him every night if he had homework, and he said no. He was usually good with that. I should have pushed it further.

"Fuck." Great, now I am swearing at my Dad. My head…ugh it hurts. "Sorry, I didn't mean that. I will talk to him when I get home. I have to go now. Tell all three of them that I love them. I love you too, Dad."

"Love you, son."

I hung up the phone, and got up fast from the chair. I accidently knocked over a big stack of papers. "Shit." I said a little too loudly. I got on the ground to pick them up. Karen opened the door.

"Just go, Boss. I got this."

"Thank you…" I was just a burden on everyone today. I jog to get to Mitchell's office. The secretary tells me to go right in. I knock on his door anyway, and he calls for me to come in.

"Come and sit, Edward." He takes his attention away from the computer screen and I sat down. "How are you today, Edward?"

"I am alright." Am I?

"Hm." He sounded like he didn't believe me, but thankfully he didn't question any further. "Look Edward, I wanted to say sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"For the way I spoke to you after you left New York. I was just mad because I have been working hard to help you and then you just up and left."

"I'm sorry sir, it's just…"

He put his hand up to stop me. "No need to explain yourself. I understand. I know your wife was put in a dangerous predicament, and was hospitalized for it. I should have seen that and been more sympathetic, but I wasn't and I am sorry."

"I accept your apology, but I really just want you to know that I appreciate all you have done for me. I appreciate it more than I can express. I love my job."

He sat back and folded his hands over his chest. "I know you do. And I will continue helping you, but there is one thing I think you should know." I nodded my head for him to continue. "I understand you are trying to support your family, but so am I. I can't keep giving you chances after chances just because I think you are a good guy…that would be a horrible decision for me to make as a business man."

"I understand."

"So no more missing important meetings or skipping out on conferences. I am telling you right now Edward…I will fire you."

I gulped, and his words hurt. "I understand." And I did. I know that what I have been doing is wrong, no matter what the reason's are. When I skip out on stuff like that, Mitchell is losing money…money that is supporting his family and paying for his daughter to get through college. I respect that as a father who is also trying to support his family.

"Okay, and I really felt bad for what I said, so I have decided to let you leave whenever you want for the day."

"Oh sir, that's not necessary."

"Oh shut up, Edward." My eyes bulged out of my head; that is the first time I have witnessed Mitchell being anything but professional. He laughed at my expression I am sure. "Get out of here, kid."

I got up, and extended my hand to him. "Thank you."

And now I can go home and deal with the even more stress that is going to be there for me.

* * *

I walked into the house and heard music coming from the living room. I walked over to the living room and saw my Dad in there with Peyton. He had his sleeves to his button up rolled up to his elbows and he had his hands up above his head in an obvious ballet position.

"No Gwandpa! Dats not the first position!" Peyton said to him bossily.

"I'm trying!" My Dad said, and I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Do it like this." Peyton then put her little feet into what I assume was the first position, and my Dad finally did it right.

"Good job, Gwandpa." Peyton said while giggling and laughing.

"Yeah, looking good Dad." I said as I walked into the room. Peyton squealed and ran at me, and my Dad blushed and gave me a sheepish smile.

"She wanted to teach me." He said and shrugged his shoulders like it was a good enough explanation. I understand him. It was difficult to say no to a face as cute as my little girl's.

Peyton cupped her little hands around my ears and whispered, "Gwandpa is a bad ballerina."

I laughed, and Peyton's whisper was like thunder so my Dad heard and also laughed. I kissed Peyton's cheek and then she rested her head on my shoulder. I looked to my Dad. "Where is Liam?"

"He is upstairs in your room with Bella."

"Is she…"

"She started before I even got here." I nodded my head in acceptance, ignoring the tug in my heart. I really wish she wouldn't drink anymore. It hurt me to see her like that especially now that she has become a shell of the woman I love with my whole heart.

"Okay, well you can go I guess."

He picked up his suit jacket from the back of the couch. "Okay, but promise me you won't over exert yourself son; you look like hell."

"Well thanks for your concern, Dad, but I already got the speech from Mom, I am fine. There are more important things than my sleeping schedule."

He didn't look satisfied with what I said, but thankfully he wasn't going to fight me on it. "Okay then." He walked up to me and kissed Peyton's cheek. "Good-bye little ballerina…thanks for the lesson."

"You're welcome. Love you." She said without taking her head off of my shoulder. It was about four, so it made sense why she was getting tired.

"Love you too." He said, and then looked up at me. "And I love you, son."

"I love you, too, Dad." He clapped his hand on the shoulder that didn't have Peyton's head on it. He walked out of the room, and out the front door.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Can you rock me?"

I smiled, and kissed the top of my angel's head. "Of course."

* * *

I placed a sleeping Peyton in her crib, and brought her blanket up to her face. Now that she was sleeping, I decided to go see Liam and Bella. I walked into the room, and Bella was barely sitting up in the bed. She had her head hung down, and looked like she was falling asleep while sitting up. Liam didn't seem to notice, or rather made the decision not to notice, and he had his head resting on her lap, watching the TV. Bella had one hand on Liam's head, and Liam was clutching onto her other one with both of his. He slowly moved his head to look at me, but his stoic expression never changed. Bella's change is really affecting my boy in a bad way, and it scared me to death. I should be able to do something for him…for them.

I walked up to the bed. "Hey, buddy."

"Hi, Daddy." I could see his grip on Bella's hand get tighter, his voice was filled with emotion, and I could tell he was trying to hold it back.

"We need to talk about school, bud."

"School is stupid." He said while not looking at me.

"You used to love school."

"Not anymore. School is stupid."

"You may not like it, but school is important, and you can't be slacking."

He finally got up. "School. Is. Stupid."

"Liam, I really don't want to fight with you right now. Go to your room, and I will be right there." He huffed, but despite his anger, he kissed Bella's hand and walked out of the room. I turned to Bella and she was on the edge of consciousness and unconsciousness. How much longer can I stand seeing her like this? I cupped my hands on her cheeks and lifted her face so her blood shot eyes can meet mine. "How are you doing today, love?"

"I am tired." She said as he eyes started closing on their own accord. I was thinking I needed to set up a meeting with Julia. I can't see her like this anymore. This was a scary Bella, but my Bella was still in there.

"Well why don't you go to sleep, beautiful?"

"Okay, that sounds good." She turned her head and kissed the palm of my hand. "I love you."

Hearing her say that for some reason made me want to cry. Maybe it was my emotions built up from my busy day, or maybe it is because even though she was so messed up right now, she still was conscious enough to tell me she loves me.

"I love you, too." I said, and she sighed and moved down to put her head on the pillow. I held her hand and ran my hand through her hair as she started drifting off. It only took her a couple of minutes, and then I kissed her head. I went into Liam's room after that. He was lying on his bed with his hands behind his head.

"Am I in big trouble?" He asked as he sat up.

"I think so." I said and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"But why?"

"Liam, you know your mother and I expect you to do well in school, and when you don't do your homework, that shows that you are not trying."

He got down from the bed and started for the door. "Whatever."

"Liam, get back over here right now." I said, and pointed to the spot in front of me. He sighed in frustration, but listened otherwise. "It is also bad that you lied to me about doing the homework."

"So what?"

"What do you mean 'so what'?"

"So what if I lied." He shrugged his shoulders like he really thought what he was saying was no big deal. Where is my little boy going? He was slipping away from me and I didn't know what to do.

"Liam…you know lying is bad."

"So…you lie."

I gasped softly. "What are you talking about? I have never lied to you, Liam." His words hurt. I always tried to tell my kids the truth, and I thought I had been doing pretty good with that. "What are you saying, buddy?"

For some reason I didn't understand, his face got red, and he looked so mad. "You told us that you would always help us and protect us, and now Mommy is sick! You are a liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!"

His voice was full of venom and I was floored. I got so many emotions that filled me in that moment and none of them were good. All I know was that my face got hot, I clenched my hands at my side, I could hear the beat of my pulse in my head, and I wanted to scream and yell and punch a wall and throw up. His words cut me deep. His words were proof that my boy was changing before my eyes, and he was slowly losing his innocence.

His words also made me realize that he was right.

I got up from the bed and left that room before I did something I regret. I walked out of his room and tried to think of where to go. I decided to go into the guest room, and I shut the door. My knees gave out, and I fell to the floor. I caught myself with my hands, and it was hard to breathe. I was on all fours and trying to catch my breath. I moved to my side and pulled my knees to my chest, and that was when the tears came. How am I supposed to do this? How can I mend my family at this point? It seemed impossible, but it was also impossible for me to give up.

I can't ever give up.

* * *

**Big thank you to KelleyRachelle for editing this chapter for me since I have a splitting headache. If it wasn't for her, I think this chapter would have had to wait until tomorrow. **

**So there is the next chapter. Bella isn't doing so well huh? What do you think Edward should do?**

**I added the pics of Liam and Peyton on my profile, so check those out and let me know what you think about them!**

**Oh and please let me know of any songs to add to the playlist that is also on my profile. **

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	24. Chapter 23: Normal

_**Chapter 23:**_ _**Normal  
November 13, 2009**_

EPOV

I sat back on the couch; my head was resting on the back of it. If I opened my eyes I would be looking at the ceiling, but I had them closed; praying for sleep to overtake me. I fell asleep around four, but then woke up again at 5:30. Sleep seemed like a thing of the past now. I don't even remember what sleeping more than three hours felt like. I don't even know how I function during the day, but I somehow do it. I felt like a zombie and I hated it. I just get through the day hour-by-hour. Things weren't getting better, they were only getting worse, and I need to do something because what I am doing is obviously not working.

"Daddy! Daddy!" I heard Peyton call for me. I lifted my tired head and looked at the clock of the cable box…6:27…perfect; no sleep for me. I got up from the couch and headed upstairs. Peyton really was my only source of an escape these days. She remains resilient to what is going on around her, and it is because of her being so young. I wish I can say the same for Liam…the other part of my heart that feels like it is missing right now. I think he says maybe a total of 10 words to me a day now. It was tearing me down. There are three parts to my heart; Liam, Peyton, and Bella, and two of them are missing. One can only imagine the emptiness I feel in my chest. Peyton helped though, I still had that third of my heart intact, and I grasp onto that with my life because if it wasn't there, I wouldn't have a life to hold onto anymore.

I went upstairs and smiled at her standing in her crib. She was rubbing her eyes; her hair all messed up on the right side. She was just wearing one of Liam's shirts to bed, and it was really big on her, it was going over her shoulder. I took her to get her hair trimmed last week, and she now has bangs which she loves because her hair isn't in her face anymore. I pick her up, shower her in kisses, and her giggle fills me up with a calm feeling that I love. I take her to the bathroom, and when she is finished I bring her downstairs to the kitchen.

She still had her head on my shoulder since she was sleepy. "Do you want to eat some breakfast, princess?" I whispered while rubbing her back.

"Potarts, pwease." I smiled and kissed her head.

"Anything for you, my love." She lifted her head from my shoulder and smiled at me.

"Yummy, yummy, potarts!" I keep her in my arms as I get the Pop-Tarts out of the cabinet. She opens the box herself; it takes her a little time, but I can wait. She finally gets it open and she pulls out the silver package. "You gonna have one too, Daddy? I will share it with you."

I smiled. "I would love some, Peyton. Thank you for sharing." She smiled wider, and she seemed happy with herself that she was doing a good deed. I put the Pop-Tarts in the toaster and went to get two paper plates only to find there were no more in the cabinet. I placed Peyton down on the floor. "I will be right back; I need to get more plates." There were more paper plates in the storage closet in the hall way. I walked out of the kitchen, into the living room, and down the hall to get the paper plates. I was heading back with the plates when he heard the sound of glass shattering and the sound of Peyton screaming. I dropped the plates and ran for the kitchen.

I gasped when I saw Peyton standing near the open fridge with her hands over her ears, tears falling down her cheeks, and broken glass and a splattered drink all around her. Not just any drink; vodka.

"Don't move!" I yelled probably a little too loud because she jumped and tightened her hands over her ears, but I couldn't help it. I was freaking out. For some reason the image of my daughter standing in the middle of the poison that was killing my wife and broken glass chilled me to the bone. I stepped through the glass, trying to miss the pieces, but it really didn't work so well. I didn't notice the pain my feet though because it paled in comparison to the pain in my head right now. It felt like it was taking a 360 turn at this moment.

I reached over and scooped Peyton in my arms and she clung to my neck; her fingers digging into my neck because she was scared. "I'm sorry, Daddy! I was just trying to get the milk!"

I guess I should be tough on her, since I told her not to go in the fridge without telling anyone, or someone being there, but my head was spinning, I don't know what was happening to me. "It's okay, honey."

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and looked over to see Liam come running down, his eyes were squinted because I am sure he woke up and then immediately ran down the steps to see what was wrong. "What happened?" He asked and his eyes opened wider when he noticed Peyton crying.

"I did bad! Is Mommy going to be mad I spilled her drink?" She asked me.

"No, no, baby, Mommy won't be mad. Shh…"

"But that's Mommy's favorite!"

Wow.

What is happening to me?

My fucking head was searing.

"What about me?" Bella said as she walked down the stairs, looking as disheveled as Liam was, but even worse since she was hungover.

"Mommy!" Peyton said and reached for Bella. Bella walked up to me and took Peyton from my arms. "Mommy! I sorry I dropped your drink. I sorry."

Bella was listening to her intently, and gave her a soft smile, and my Bella was back for a minute. I would have taken this opportunity to admire my love at any other time, but right now I think I was having an epiphany. There was somewhere I needed to go…like now.

I felt Bella's hand on my cheek. "Are you okay, baby?" She asked. "You are as pale as a ghost."

"Umm…no. No I'm not."

She looked confused. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I need to go." I turned to walk out to the room, but noticed the glass and the vodka was still all over the floor. "Take the kids in the living room so I can clean this."

"Edward I…"

"Just go, Bella." I said in a tone that I rarely ever use with Bella. She seemed to notice this, and didn't fight me on this right now. She reached over and took Liam's hand. I looked down at him, but he wasn't looking at me at all. I was used to that. She took the both of them to the living room, Peyton had her head on Bella's shoulder and her arms slung around her neck. I took a deep breath when they left and went to clean up the mess. I winced in pain when I put pressure down on my right foot and lifted it from the ground. There was blood on the floor. "Fuck." I whispered.

My left foot seemed fine so I hopped over to the sink. I cleaned my foot off with water and a paper towel. The cuts weren't that bad so it stopped bleeding pretty fast. I took out a big band-aid from the first aid kit we had in the kitchen and put it on my foot. I started cleaning the floor, sweeping up the glass, wiping the vodka and blood away, and then bleaching the floor. It soon looked like nothing happened, and I was glad I could clean up the mess. It seems like that is the only mess I am capable of cleaning up these days.

I jogged upstairs to get my clothes and shoes on. Once I was changed in my black t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, I grabbed my red hoodie, and went down the stairs. I grabbed my keys and went into the living room. "You weaving, Daddy?" Peyton asked when I walked in. She was lying back on Bella's lap, and Liam was sitting next to her.

"Yeah." I walked up to them. Peyton puckered her lips to me, I kissed her, I kissed Bella, and Liam moved away from me. I got up again awkwardly, trying not to burst into tears. "I love you, Liam." I said, but he didn't look at me. "Okay." I said and started to walk away.

"Edward wait." Bella said. I turned to look at her, but she was looking at Liam.

"Why were you being so rude to your father?" Bella asked him. I was glad she was sticking up for me, but she is a little late. The damage is already done. Liam just shrugged. "I want you to go up to your father right now, give him a hug, kiss, and tell him you love him." Bella ordered.

"But why, Mom?" Liam asked sitting up and whining.

"Because he is your father, and he loves you." She had a staring contest going on with him that she won. He sighed in defeat and slowly started walking towards me. He stopped in front of me, not even looking up. I know he didn't mean anything right now, but that didn't stop me from taking this opportunity to hold my son in my arms. I bent slightly and wrapped my arms around him. He didn't wrap his arms around me, which hurt, but I took advantage of the situation and kissed the side of his head.

I held him a moment longer, just breathing in his scent, trying to keep it with me for as long as I can. "I love you." I said again.

He didn't say anything, and I felt a lump form in my throat. "Liam Edward Cullen." Bella warned.

"You too." He said. He wormed out of my arms and went back to the couch.

"I will be back." I said before turning to leave. I got in my car and flew down the street toward where I needed to go right now. I need to do something different. My actions need a complete overhauling. I have been in a stump, not fully understanding how bad things were because I was too blinded by the extraordinary love I feel for my wife. I was being selfish really. I was trying to believe things weren't as bad as they were so I could hold onto my Bella, but during that time I wasn't fully thinking about my kids. I was doing everything wrong.

When I saw Peyton standing in the middle of the glass and vodka, it set something off. It made me realize how much this could and was affecting my kids, because they were both put in a horrible position that they can't control or even fully understand. They were put in the middle of this. In the end, who matters more? I feel like shit for saying it, but I am sure Bella would feel the same…the answer is my kids. My kids come first in everything no matter what, they are my first priority.

I took a deep breath and tried focusing more on driving than thinking right now. I will have enough time to think and talk and sort shit out once I get there. I remember this feeling though. This was a feeling of realization and understanding. This was one of the points in a person's life when they realize that they need to make a change. I was at that point right now. This was the second time I was at that point in my life. The first time was under better, happier circumstances though…

_~Flashback~_

_**19 Years Old**_

_Edward and Bella were both lying on their sides facing each other. Both were naked, just staring in each other's eyes after they just made love to each other only minutes ago. Edward had his left hand running through Bella's hair and Bella had his other hand in hers. She was rubbing her fingers over his hand, tracing random patterns in his palm. There were no words spoken for a while, there was no need. _

"_Do you think we are normal?" Bella whispered, not taking her eyes off of Edward's hand as she continued drawing random patterns on it. _

"_What do you mean?" Edward asked softly. _

"_I don't know, sometimes I feel like we aren't normal at all." _

"_Hmm…define normal." Edward said. _

_She finally looked up at Edward, her eyes closing as his hand was running through her hair. "Well actually, let me rephrase that. I know we are normal. We are 19 year old kids, I have a job, you are going to school, we pay bills, we have a normal life." _

"_Mhm..." Edward said, waiting for her to continue._

"_Well I guess I mean is it normal that we love each other so much?" Bella lifted Edward's hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. _

"_I think it is normal; I wouldn't want it any other way." Edward said. _

"_No, I'm not saying I want to change it because it is…no you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, but I can honestly say I have loved you, and my world has revolved around you since the day we met. Not everyone can say that, so I guess we are not normal." _

"_I don't think that, I think we are normal." He paused. "Actually, now that I think about it, everyone is normal really." _

"_Oh no, now you are thinking, this could be interesting." Bella teased. Edward growled and lowered his head to lightly bite Bella's shoulder playfully. She screamed and then laughed. Edward laughed along with her and pulled her closer in his arms so her head was resting on his chest, and her arms around him as well. _

_Edward kissed the top of her head before he continued with his thought. "I think everyone has their own brand of normal." _

"_Explain." Bella mumbled. _

"_Oh well you know, it is normal to me and you to be in this constant state of love with each other. It is normal for us to live our lives the way we live it, and we are content with it. But take someone else for example…anyone really. Take the president, it is normal for him to wake up in the morning and run a country. Take the meat cutter down the street. It is normal for him to get up in the morning and start hacking away at meat. Or the stripper in the club, it is normal for her to expose herself every night to get money to feed her baby." Edward stopped to take a breath. "There is no such thing as being out of the norm really. We all have our own normal, and if we are happy with the way we are and how we are living, we shouldn't change it to fit in or do what is expected of us. Once we do that, we become unhappy." _

_Bella lifted her head and quirked her eyebrow at Edward. "Since when did you get all deep and philosophical?" _

_Edward laughed and kissed her forehead. "I am a fucking genius, love." _

"_Alright, let's not take it too far; I don't need you getting a big head." _

"_I really fucking love you, beautiful." _

"_What is with you and the word 'fuck' today?" _

_He smiled and laughed. "Stop fucking complaining about my fucking language and give me a fucking kiss and tell me that you fucking love me." Edward said. _

_Bella laughed and took his face between her hands. She brought his mouth to hers and kissed him while still laughing. "I fucking love you, baby." She said. "And I think you are right. Who cares if people think it is not normal to love the same person their whole life, because I am as happy as I have ever been." _

_Edward smiled fondly at Bella. "Well I am happy to hear that." _

"_And I can't wait to be normal like this forever. I can't wait until it is normal for us to be sitting in our rocking chairs with dentures and gray hair watching our grandkids play." Edward tensed and pushed back away from Bella like he had been burned. "Baby?" _

"_Uh…" He scrambled off the bed and started running his hand through his hair. He walked over to grab his boxers from the ground, and started to put his clothes back on. _

"_Edward? What's the matter?" Bella asked, sounding worried. _

"_I have to go." _

_Bella sat up in the bed, holding the sheet over her. "What do you mean?" _

_Edward put his shirt over his head. "I will be back." And then he walked out the door leaving a thoroughly confused Bella alone in their bed. _

* * *

_Edward knocked loudly on the door. It was silent throughout the whole neighborhood since it was just after midnight. Edward knocked louder and faster until a light finally turned on in the house. Carlisle opened the door in his pajamas. "Edward?" He asked groggily. Esme came walking down the steps soon after. _

"_Edward? Are you okay, honey?" She asked._

"_I don't know." Edward said and walked into his parent's house. _

"_You look sick." Esme said._

"_No I'm not sick, but I do feel like throwing up." _

"_That doesn't make any sense." Carlisle said. _

"_Bella wants us to be old people together and watch our grandkids play." He blurted out randomly. Carlisle and Esme stared at him like he was insane. _

"_Umm…okay?" Carlisle said, not exactly understanding what was going on, so 'okay' was the only thing he could think of to say. _

"_Okay? I tell you something like that and all you have to say is okay?" Edward asked, sounding like he was in a panic. _

"_Honey, I don't think we understand what you are saying." Esme said._

"_Exactly what I said!" Edward said, sounding frustrated and exasperated. _

"_Bella wants to grow old with you?" Carlisle asked._

"_Yes." _

_Carlisle and Esme were still silent trying to figure out what the punch line was. "Do you not want that?" Carlisle asked. _

"_Of course I do…wait, no…yes…yes I do." Edward started off strong and then as he continued he only got more and more confused. _

"_So what is the problem, honey?" Esme asked. _

_Edward flopped down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. He took a deep breath. "I don't know." He ran his hands through his hair before looking up to his parents. "I don't know, but as soon as she said that, I just…I don't even know. I freaked out, okay? You know, I just kind of assumed that we were going to be together forever obviously, so I knew it was going to happen. But as soon as she said it, I almost had a heart attack." He got up now and was running his sweating hands on his pants. "That's a scary thing…forever." _

"_It is, but can you honestly say being with Bella for the rest of your life sounds scary?" Esme said, she walked closer to Edward and put one hand on his shoulder._

"_No." Edward said. _

"_Well how does it sound to you now that you have a somewhat clear head? How does that make you feel?" Esme said. _

_Edward waited while he thought about it, but it didn't take him long. "Crazy happy." He answered simply. Esme smiled and hugged Edward quickly. _

"_Well then what are you doing here?" Carlisle said. _

"_Oh fuck!" Edward said and hit his forehead. "Sorry." He said for curse word. "She must think I am insane. I just up and left!" Edward hugged his Mom and then his Dad quickly. "Thanks and I love you guys, but I have to go." _

"_Call us in the morning if Bella doesn't kick you the curb for running away from her." Carlisle said, although the occupants of the room knew he was just joking. _

"_Oh thanks, Dad." Edward said sarcastically and then headed for the door. He stopped halfway though and turned to his Mom. "Actually, Mom I think you have something I may need." _

* * *

_Edward ran up the stairs to his and Bella's apartment, he was making a lot of noise, but he was anxious to get back to Bella. He was about to open the door but it opened before he could put his hand on the door knob. Bella was just heading out, she had a jacket on, her hair was in a pony tail, and her eyes were swollen from crying. "Edward!" She gasped and threw her arms around his neck. _

"_Hey, Bella." He mumbled against her neck as he held her closely. _

_Bella pulled away and held his face in her hands. "Where were you, baby? I was so worried! I thought I said something to make you mad and you needed to get away from me! I called your cell phone but you didn't answer! Why didn't you answer your phone?" She stopped for a second, but not long enough for Edward to get a word in. "And then I got worried that something happened to you! You were gone an hour and a half, baby! It was after midnight I didn't know where you were!" She was near hysteria. _

"_Bella, stop." Edward said calmly._

"_I was worried! I thought something happened to you…" _

"_Bella." _

"_What would I have done is something happened to you?" _

"_Bella." Edward said, still trying to calm her enough to listen. _

_Tears were falling down her cheeks now. "I can't live without you I…" She was cut off by Edward's lips. He grabbed the sides of her face and brought her mouth to his. The kiss was hard and hungry. It took Bella a couple of seconds to get in the groove of things because she was so surprised and emotional. Edward was running his thumbs along her cheek, wiping her tears, as he was kissing her lips softer now. After a few lingering kisses he pulled away and put his forehead to hers. "Where did you go?" Bella whispered. _

"_That doesn't matter." He said and pulled away from her slightly. _

"_Of course it does, Edward. I…what are you doing?" She asked as Edward started to lower himself on the ground so he was up on one knee. Bella gasped when he reached into the pocket of his jeans to take out a black box. She brought her hands to her mouth and tried to hold in her tears. "Edward…" She whispered in astonishment._

_Edward reached up and took her left hand from her mouth so he could hold it in his hand. "Bella, we have known each other for as long as I can remember really, and I don't ever want to forget. We have been there for each other through some really bad times and some really good times. I love you more than anything in this world, and that will never change…ever. So I am already tied to you forever. You are a part of me and without you; there will never be a me. We both know that this is the real thing, and that will never change. But just to seal the deal and for the rest of the world to know that we are together in every way possible, will you do me the honor of becoming my beautiful wife?" _

_Edward opened the black box to reveal a simple but elegant diamond ring that once belonged to his deceased mother. In her will it stated that she wanted that ring to go to Edward for the woman he was going to marry. Bella was crying and smiling. "Yes, I would love to be your wife." _

_Edward's face broke out into a huge, extraordinary smile and he scrambled to get the wedding ring out of the box. He kissed Bella's hand before slipping the ring onto Bella's ring finger. As soon as the ring was on her, he got up from the floor and kissed her again on the mouth, his tears were now mixed with hers. "Thank you." He said sincerely when he pulled away._

_~End Flashback~_

Asking Bella to marry me was the best decision I ever made. Some may think I am stupid or crazy for saying that with what has been going on lately, and all the stress that has been in my life, but that was life. Not everything happens the way you want. When I married Bella I promised to be with her through thick and thin, for better or for worse, and in sickness and in health, and I will forever stick to those vows. I meant them then, and I mean them now. I will stick to them not because I feel I have to, but because I love her and will do absolutely anything for her. Our life may be crazy, but this is our normal right now, and we just have to work to change our normal a little bit.

I made it to Julia's office, and got out of the car as fast as I could. I walked through the front door and was met by her new receptionist. "Hi, my name is Edward Cullen, is Julia free by any chance?" I asked her. I hope she wasn't. I looked over to the calendar and noticed ironically that it was Friday the 13th. Mitchell gave me the day off every other Friday.

"Um, yeah, just let me call and confirm that you can go in." She picked up the phone, talked to Julia, and then told me I could go in. I walked over to the door and knocked once. She told me to come in, and she was sitting at her desk.

"Hello, Edward, what can I help you with?"

"I was wondering if we could talk please, I need a professional's help."

"Of course, do you want to move to the therapy room?" She asked and took her glasses off.

"No that's fine." I walked to the chair in front of her desk and sat down on it.

"So what exactly do you want to talk about?"

"I need to help my kids." I said simply, because that was the main reason I was here. I can't have Liam and Peyton living in this world that we were living in right now.

"You need to help them from what exactly?"

Oh my God, how do I answer that? "Well…I guess I need to help them to not be exposed as much to what Bella is doing."

"Drinking." She stated, and I nodded my head. "I understand what you are saying, Edward, and there really are only two ways that you can do that right now."

I gulped; both would not be easy I am sure. "Okay…"

"Option one; you take the kids away from Bella, tell her that if she isn't going to get help, she needs to be away from the kids." She said bluntly.

"I couldn't do that." I said right away.

"And why not?" Julia asked.

"Well, because I couldn't take the kids away from Bella; that would crush her."

"And what she is doing right now is not crushing your whole family?" She asked rhetorically, and she had a good point. "There is also the other option which is to get Bella to get the help she needs."

"Well I could do that…"

"You could try, but honestly Edward, I don't think she is ready for that."

"What do you mean?"

"An addict has to want to get help to actually heal, and Bella doesn't want help, nor does she think she needs it. I know this from the sessions we have been having these past couple of weeks. She is in a very bad place right now, the depression and drinking is messing with her logical thinking, I think."

I groaned. "Is it bad that sometimes I just want to yell at her? I mean why can't she just stop! I know everyone says it's not that easy, but why? Why can't she just not drink?"

Julia got up from her desk, and went to sit next to me on the chair. "I am going to help you understand this, okay?" I nodded my head. "You have had a drink before, am I correct?"

"Well yeah, I drink at functions and stuff, but that's it really."

"And how much do you drink?"

"Uh…" I don't know where she is going with this. "Two or three beers or glasses of wine, nothing too bad."

"And you have never got drunk?"

"No."

"Why?"

What the hell is she talking about? "I don't know why, I just don't."

She nodded her head. "How many glasses of wine or beer does Bella have to drink to become drunk?"

"Two or three." I said, shrugging, it all depends really. Vodka gets her drunk in less the time.

"Okay, so why do you get to have those two glasses of wine without getting drunk, but Bella can't?"

"I don't know…" She had a good point. It was another sign of Bella's sickness.

"It is a simple matter of nature vs. nurture, Edward." She said and got up from the chair. She started walking in front of me as I tried to piece together what she was saying.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Psychologists have been debating on what makes a person the way they are or why they act the way they do for many, many years. Some argue we are what we are because of what is in our blood; genetics, nature. And there are some that believe we are what are by the things around us; what we were exposed to, nurture. I can go on and on for days about how one is more logical than the other, but I think you can understand where Bella gets it from."

I had to think about it for a minute, and I gulped. "Both."

"Exactly. Bella's mother is an alcoholic, and has been for as long as the records show. Now we don't know anything about Bella's father, but that is really insignificant. So Bella got the drinking from her mother, and think about what she grew up around." I did, and it hurt to think about. "She witnessed her mother drinking every day since she can remember. That does things to a child Edward…I would know."

"But that is in the past. What about the now? She has me, she has the kids, why isn't that enough?"

"And that is the big question to everyone on the outside looking in. They think just get over it, it is in the past. They think that until it is them dealing with it." She sat down on the front of her desk so she was facing me. "Now I am going to tell you something that I don't tell everyone. As you know, I was an alcoholic, and so was my father. I loved my Dad, I was the youngest in our family, and I was his little princess when…he was sober that is. When he was drunk, he was a whole other person, and couldn't even form a complete sentence most of the time. I had two older brothers, and an older step-brother. To make a long story short, my step-brother raped me from when I was 14 until I moved out to live with who is now my husband on my 18th birthday."

"Wow…um…I'm sorry." I felt like an idiot, but really? What do you say to that?

"It was a horrible time, but I got over it, but it took me a _long_ time. That is not something you just get over, Edward. Just because you turn into an adult doesn't mean what happened in your childhood didn't matter or just disappears from your mind and soul. I met my husband when I was 17, we were crazy in love." Her face got softer; you could tell the love she has for her husband. "But 19 was the age I started drinking and nearly died because of it. I was so much worse than Bella. My husband stayed with me until he finally had enough, and told me if I didn't get help, he was going to leave."

"So what did you say?" I asked.

She stopped and crossed her arms. She was looking at the floor and I could tell she was thinking about what she was going to say. "This part I don't like talking about, but I will tell you. When he told me that, I thought I was just going to die. I couldn't live without him, but I also couldn't live without the drinks. I told him I couldn't get help."

"So did he leave?"

"Yes." She said simply. "Now looking back on it, I can see how stupid I was, but knowing what I know now about alcoholism, I also understand why I did it. I was just not ready. I didn't accept that I was an alcoholic. I was stubborn and thought I could deal with it on my own."

"Kind of like Bella." I said.

"Yes. Bella is not ready right now, Edward, just like I wasn't. But you giving her an ultimatum will be for the best. After Eric left me, and I was alone, I eventually found out how messed up I was."

"How long did it take you?" I was hoping for her to say a couple of days, or maybe weeks.

"Six months." I felt my shoulders slump and I buried my face in my hands. Six months? That is far too long for me to handle. I felt Julia's hand on my shoulder, and I felt her sit down next to me. "This isn't going to be an overnight thing Edward."

I lifted my head and tried to blink away my tears. "I know." It sounded like I was whining but it was just because my voice squeaked with emotion and I felt so weak. "But leaving her and taking the kids away from her will kill me. The last thing I want to do is hurt her."

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe what you are doing right now, by not taking any action, is hurting her more?" I wiped my eyes, not giving the tears time to fall. "Or Liam and Peyton?"

A big tear fell and I buried my face in my hands, trying to hide my tears. "Maybe."

"Look, I know this is hard for you Edward. And unfortunately the loved ones of the person who is addicted is the one who has to make the most painful decisions, but it is only because you are the only one in the right mind set to make those decisions. Don't think that Bella's actions are out to hurt you, because I can tell you from experience that that is not it at all. She is just incapable of seeing the whole picture."

"I know it's not her fault, but still…I just want this to be over. I want my Bella back." I lifted my face to look at her.

"Then I think you know what to do."

* * *

I turned the wheel with my right hand as I held the phone to my ear with the left. "Hello?"

"I just picked up Liam and Peyton like you asked. Is there something wrong?" Emmett asked. I called him to pick them up so they wouldn't be there for when…FUCK, I couldn't even think it; how am I supposed to do this?

"I will call you later, okay?"

Luckily he was being uncharacteristically incurious. "Okay, make sure you do."

"And Emmett? Please tell my kids I love them." Maybe Liam will listen to him and believe him. I can only imagine how Liam is going to take this. He is going to hate me even more. There were so many little cons for what I am about to do, but there is the one big pro that outweighs all of them logically, and that is to get Bella better. Once Bella is better, the rest of us will be. It will just take time. I have to remember that.

Emmett agreed and hung up. I pulled up to the front of the house and walked to the front door. I opened it, and heard the sound of a fridge closing. I walked into the kitchen, and sure enough Bella was standing there with a bottle of vodka in her hand, getting ready to unscrew the cap. She smiled when she saw me…she was so beautiful. "Are you okay, Edward?" She asked.

I walked over to her and put my hand over hers that was trying to unscrew the cap. She stopped and I took the bottle out of her hands. She was about to protest, but I stopped her. "Not now." I placed the bottle on the island beside us. I want to do this while she is sober. This way I know she is in her right mind when she makes this decision. I know my Bella wouldn't let me leave. I am so confident in our love, and I know Bella loves me as much as I love her. So if my Bella truly was here, I know she wouldn't let this happen. But if she disagrees, I think I will finally get to see how sick she is. I know she is sick, but I will see the full extent if she doesn't decide to get help. It is taking me a long time, but I am only human…I am trying to make this right, that should count for something right?

"Uh…why?" She asked. I took both of her hands in mine. I lifted them to my mouth and kissed the knuckles on both of her hands. I took her hands and put them behind me and wrapped them around my middle. She didn't question and held onto my middle tightly. I brought my arms back in front of me and wrapped my arms around her. She sighed in contentment and I tried holding my emotions in. I rested my cheek on the top of her head and held her tightly. This will probably be the last time I hold her like this in a while. I held on tighter, and she responded by also holding me tighter.

"I love you." I mumbled.

"I love you too, baby. Is something wrong?" She sounded worried. I lifted my head and brought my hands to the sides of her waist, and up her sides until I had her head in my hands. I leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. She kissed me back with no hesitation, and I wanted for this moment to never have to end. I wish we didn't have to end, even if it is only for a couple of months. I can't imagine not being with her, but this will have to be my sacrifice. What I have been doing is wrong, and I have to make it right. I kissed her some more; I slipped my tongue in her mouth which she accepted immediately. I was kissing her with all of the love and passion I had inside me, basking in the feeling of her kissing me; committing the feeling to memory to hold me over. I began to feel my resolve slipping away with every kiss, and I pulled away fast. She let go of me, and I was at least three feet away from her now.

I looked at her, her lips were slightly swollen, her eyes were confused. "We need to talk." I said.

"Um…Okay."

I didn't know what to say, so I just came out with it. "You need to stop drinking, Bella. Your drinking is affecting everyone in this family negatively, and it has to stop." She seemed stunned at my bluntness but I continued. "So you can either get help, or the kids and I are leaving."

Her mouth was hung open in shock, and she seemed at a loss of words. "Excuse me?" She finally said.

"You know exactly what I said, and what I mean, Bella."

She ran both of her hands through her hair looking so incredibly hurt. I had to look away so I didn't cave in seeing her hurt because of something I said. "You…you don't love me anymore?"

That was nothing I was expecting her to say, and I was the one left without words for a second. "What…of course I still love you Bella!" I said.

"Well if you love me, why would you leave me and take my kids away from me?" She was breathing heavier now, and I could tell she would start crying soon.

"I am doing this _because_ I love you, Bella. I am doing this so you can get the help you need."

She shook her head. "I can't get any help from rehab or anything, Edward. I have tried it so many times. I don't think I am curable."

"Of course you are Bella!" I said a little too loudly, but the mix of the hurt I am feeling for being in the middle of leaving her, and the frustration I felt was too much to handle. "You need to snap out of this!"

"Snap out of this?" She asked.

"Yes, you need to stop thinking that you don't need help, you do!"

"You don't understand." She said, and she was shaking her head and the tears were about to fall. I braced myself for when she really started crying.

"What don't I understand, Bella? I understand that you are sick and I understand that you need help!"

"That's not what I meant!" She yelled.

Her yelling only got me to yelling as well. "Then enlighten me, Bella. What don't I understand?"

She groaned in frustration and then exploded. "You don't know the pain I feel everyday! You don't understand how frustrating it is for me! You don't understand what it feels like to grow up with a mother that hates you! You don't know what it feels like to have a mother who beat the shit out of you and tell you she wishes you were never born or that you would just die!" She screeched. "You don't know how it feels to have no fucking idea who your father is. You don't know this because you never had to live it! You have had two sets of loving parents, Edward! You had two, and I had none. You don't understand!" She screamed.

Tears were falling and she was breathing heavy from all of her screaming. "You know what, you are right." She looked up at me and started to wipe away her tears. "You are right; I don't understand what it feels like not having loving parents my whole life." She crossed her arms in front of her, a movement that made her look like she was holding herself together. She looked like a small child again. "But do you want to know what I do understand, Bella?" I asked my voice cracking. "I understand the feeling of losing a parent. Fuck, I know the feeling of losing both, and that fucking hurts Bella. That hurts so much!" I said. Her angry demeanor from before seemed to be fading, and she just looked worried as the tears started filling in my eyes. "You can't understand that pain Bella. It is the worst pain for a child and I'll be damned if I am going to sit back and watch that happen to my children." The tears started falling and the emotion in my voice was enough to make my point. "Because they will feel that pain Bella if this continues on like this. Because you will die, Bella." I gasped at the pain in my chest at those words, but also the disgusting truth behind them. "You could die, Bella….I can't…" I leaned on the counter beside me for support. I was crumbling. She could die. A world without Bella was too much to even think about.

The tears were falling and Bella ran up to me and put her hands on either side of my face. She had tears falling down her eyes, but she ignored them and was wiping away mine. "I won't die, Edward. I am not going to die."

"You don't know that Bella." I said.

She wrapped her arms around me again, and cried into my chest. I was still leaning on the island, and I didn't wrap my arms around her. It took everything in me, but I did it. "I love you, Edward. You know that right?"

"Yes, I know." I did know. Through all this I never doubted her love for me. She is sick and not in her right mind.

"And I love Liam and Peyton…God, I love them." She said.

"I know."

"That is what makes me so frustrated, Edward. I am not going to go to rehab." She said, and that is when I knew for sure that Bella was so sick, and that only made me think more that what I was doing was the right thing. "But I know that I am hurting all of you." She said and held onto me for dear life.

"We only hurt for seeing you like this, Bella."

"I know, and that is why you don't have to leave…I will." This wasn't what I was expecting either. I tried to pull her arms off of me so she could look at me, but she wasn't letting go.

"Bella…"

"I will leave, Edward. I just need some time. I know I have said this before, but I don't want to be in this limbo while hurting you and the kids in the process. I know I have already done enough when it comes to hurting you all, but better late than never right?" She let out a humorless laugh. "I know I am not good enough for you and the kids right now."

"Bella, that is not it…" I didn't want her leaving here feeling worse about herself.

"You are only saying that because you love me, Edward, but it is the truth. I have been a horrible wife and mother. I love you all so much, but I am not in the right place now to be there for you the way I shoulder. Can I just ask of you a couple of things?"

"Of course." I said, she was still holding onto me, but I still had one hand on the island and the other to my side.

"Can I at least see you and the kids once a week or something?"

"Of course, love."

"I will be sober when I do, I promise."

"Good."

"And can we please not divorce or get a legal separation or anything; that would kill me, Edward."

"It would kill me too; so no divorce or anything like that." I said.

"Okay, and I want you to know that I love you so much, Edward. I am sorry if I sometimes don't act like it, but I do…I have never stopped since the day I met you."

"I know, Bella. I feel the exact same way, you know that."

"Okay and Edward? Can I ask you one more thing?" She asked, her voice high from the emotion in her voice.

"Anything."

"Can you just hold me? Hold me, please." She pleaded. I didn't answer with words. I moved her hands out from around me. I wrapped my arms around her middle and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. She was sobbing now, and I buried my face in her hair. I was holding her tighter than I ever thought I had in my life. We would be separated after this moment. She was leaving, and she wasn't going to live with me, she wasn't going to be with me. I could feel that she was crumbling just as I was at us having to be apart for any amount of time. This hurt like hell, but we were both doing this for the best. We both made a sacrifice today for something far more important…our kids.

How can something that hurts so fucking much be the 'right' thing to do?

I guess that's life.

* * *

**So how did we like this chapter? Edward finally took a big step, and so did Bella. Do people still hate Bella, or do we have a better understanding of how things are for her?**

**So there is good news and bad news. Want to start with the bad first to get it over with? Okay, I won't be able to update on Monday. The first reason is that I have a lot to do this weekend, and the second reason is what leads me into the good news…well good news for 'What Really Matters' readers at least…I am going to write the next outtake for 'What Really Matters'. I have had Jack in my head for a couple of weeks now; let's just say he wants his outtake written! LOL**

**The plan is to update next Friday, but you never know, I may get enough time and update before that, but that isn't certain, so I would say Friday will be the next update. At least I didn't leave you at a cliffy this time right?**

**Let me know if you have any music please! Some people have left some really good songs that you can check out on my profile. **

**Please review, it seriously gets me more anxious to write more and I appreciate and read each and every one! **

**Thanks! **


	25. Chapter 24: Speak

_**Chapter 24: Speak  
January 11, 2010**_

EPOV

"Liam!" I called through the door and knocked on it. "Come on, buddy, you have to eat breakfast before we leave for school." I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. Just don't flip out, Edward; I told myself that over and over again. I waited. "Liam!" I yelled, and his door finally opened. He didn't even look at me, and just walked past me and down the stairs.

Man, I miss my son.

I stopped next in Peyton's room. She was trying to put her shoes on by herself, but looked like she was having a lot of trouble. I smiled, and walked over to her. I knelt down next to her and took over. No words were said, but she gave me a beautiful smile of thanks. I tied her laces to her pink sneakers, and picked her up. I kissed her cheek, and headed out the door with her. She had her head on my shoulder as I was walking down the hall and towards the stairs.

"I love you, Daddy." She said randomly, and parents like random declarations of love from their children. If only I could get those declarations from both of my children…

"I love you too, baby girl." I said and kissed her head. I walked into the kitchen, and Liam was already making his bowl of cereal. He has been taking on more tasks lately just so I didn't have to do them for him. I really don't know exactly when Liam got to hating me, but his behavior is so out of character, I think I am going to have to schedule him an appointment with Julia. I think he needs it. Hell I need it. I need my boy back or I think I will just scream.

I placed Peyton on the counter as I got her medicine out. She was swinging her little feet and banging them against the cabinets beneath her. She does this all the time, so it didn't really bother me that much. I took the two bottles out and got out the medicine cups and started twisting the cap off of one of the bottles.

"Can you stop?" I jumped at Liam's loud voice, yelling at his sister. I looked over at Peyton and the bottom lip was already jutting out. I put the cup and the bottle down and instantly picked her up. She clung to my neck and I turned to Liam who was now sitting at the table facing me.

"Liam." I called in a calm voice, but he didn't look at me. "Liam." I said with more warning in my voice. "Liam Cullen look at me right now!" I yelled. He finally lifted his head and looked at me, but didn't seem fazed by my yelling. "Why did you just yell at her?"

"Uh, because she was making a lot of noise and it was annoying me." He said like it was the most obvious thing.

"There are other ways of asking her to stop, Liam. Why would you yell at her? She was doing nothing wrong." He just shrugged his shoulders. "Apologize to her right now." He just looked at the bowl in front of him and took another bite. Peyton was crying now, and she was crying into my neck. "Liam say sorry." I said.

Again, I miss my son.

He sighed and mumbled. "Sorry." I could tell he really didn't mean it so I walked up to him with Peyton still in my arms and pulled up a chair next to him. I pushed his bowl over and that got me a dirty look, but I am really getting sick of his behavior. I turned his chair towards me and he looked shocked at my sudden assertiveness because I have been pretty passive when it comes to his behavior. I sat down on the chair beside him and sat a still crying Peyton in my lap facing him. She was sniffling and rubbing the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Look at your sister, Liam." He lifted his head to look at her. "She is crying and her feelings are hurt. I think that you should give her a better apology, don't you?" I said loudly.

He stared at Peyton and he looked like he was going to cry too. That was not what I wanted at all, but he needed to learn one way or another. "I'm sorry, Peyton. I won't yell at you anymore. I was wrong." He said.

"I-i-it's okay, W-Wiam." She said her hiccups making it hard for her to speak a straight sentence.

Liam surprised me when he looked at me. "I'm sorry, Dad." He said and I all about cried with elation. I kept my cool though. The is the most direct statement he has made to me in so long, and it was good seeing my Liam again…let's just hope it lasts.

"It's okay, son. Just never do that again, it was rude and unnecessary." He nodded his head, and turned his sit back towards the table and started eating again in silence. I gave Peyton her medicine, and sat her down with a cut up apple. I sat down with them drinking my coffee, and watching them both eat in silence. They both had a pensive look on their faces, and I knew it was because it has been a tough week for all of us.

It has been just about two months since Bella left. She rented an apartment that was about 15 minutes away from our home. Bella and I talked the night she told me she would leave and both of us agreed that she would only get to see us on a schedule. So we decided that Sundays would be the days that we would get together. I could tell this hurt Bella a whole lot when we were discussing it, but she was being strong. So every Sunday that Bella has been gone, we would go pick her up, and spend the day together. Bella was completely sober through all of this, and I couldn't wait for those days because words cannot express how much I miss my wife.

This has been the hardest thing I have had to live with. Liam of course was upset about the whole thing, and was unfortunately taking it out on me. He thinks I am responsible for this even though me and Bella sat down with him and talked to him about it. I get it though. He is confused and upset, and he needed to take it out on someone. I would rather it be me than Peyton or anyone else.

So we have seen her every Sunday, except yesterday. Bella is really sick with the flu. I called her Sunday morning, and it took her a while to answer. I was so worried I almost called 911. This may seem over dramatic or just plain ridiculous, but when your alcoholic wife is not answering the phone after 15 calls, you begin to think of some of the horrible things that could have happened to her. She ended up answering eventually and she sounded horrible. She was all congested; she could barely speak a word without breaking into a coughing fit, and it left my heart broken. I knew I couldn't bring the kids over because Bella was contagious and all that, so we missed out on seeing her yesterday. I was also left feeling horrible just because she was alone when she was so sick. I plan on making a trip over there though when I get out of work.

So I sit here looking at my heartbroken children and thinking of how I can somehow make this better for them.

* * *

"So Liam, are you ready for your birthday on Wednesday?" I asked while peeking in the rear view mirror to see his face. I could see his eyes light up, but his response did not match up with his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess." He said and looked out the window of the car. Peyton was looking out her own window and bobbing her head to the music on the radio, she was in her own little ballerina world.

"Well what do you want?" I asked him, just wanting him to talk to me. About anything really, I really missed his stories and his voice.

"Nothing." He said. I sighed and just decided to give up. He was obviously in a really bad mood today and I didn't want to make it worse for him. I need to call Julia.

I pulled up to his school and he picked his back pack up from the floor. "Uncle Emmett is going to pick you up, okay buddy? I will try to get out of work early."

"Yup." He said and opened the door. "Bye, Peyton." He said and climbed out of the car.

"I love you." I said hopefully.

"Bye." He said and shut the door. I swallowed down the hurt and turned back to the steering wheel. I gripped my hands around it and dropped my head on top of it. My eyes were shut tight trying to make the headache go away.

"It's okay, Daddy. I just think Liam is having a bad day." Peyton said sweetly. I lifted my head and turned in my seat to look at her. She had that look on her face of concern that reminded me so much of Bella and I smiled at her.

"Yeah I think so." I said. "Are you ready to go to Aunt Rose's, beautiful?" I asked and she nodded her head and smiled. "Okay, let's go then." I said and turned back to the steering wheel and took the car out of park and drove the five minute ride to Emmett and Rose's house. Rose has agreed to take Peyton for this week only. My parents were out on a vacation in Florida, and they watch Alyssa and now Peyton since Bella left. But obviously since they were away, they can't watch them, so Rose took the week off and so graciously offered to watch Peyton for me, and then Emmett picks up Emma, Nick, and Liam from school.

I would have taken the week off but work has been busy. I was just gaining Mitchell's trust back, and we have important meetings every day this week. I have been working on my speeches for a while now. It has been difficult to work so much in work and then come home, feed my kids, play with them, bathe them, get them to bed, and then work some more. I have been exhausted but I think after this week things will start to mellow out again which is good.

Preparing for speeches was an easy thing for me. I have been making speeches for so long now I don't even get that feeling of stage fright. I wasn't always that way, but I have always been a good speech giver. I remember I would make Bella sit down and listen to my boring speeches I was supposed to make in high school. And sometimes I helped her because Bella hated giving speeches…

_~Flashback~ _

_**14 Years Old**_

"_Good morning, everyone. My name is Edward Cullen and…" Edward was interrupted by Bella's snort of laughter and he glared at her. She rolled on the bed and laughed. "Bella! This is not funny!" _

"_I'm sorry." She said and then got up from the bed. "You just sound so formal." _

"_Its supposed to sound professional." He defended. _

"_I know that, but it just doesn't sound like you." _

"_So would you rather me start off like this." Edward crossed his arms and put on a bad ass face. "Yo bitches. The names Edward. Fucking listen to me." _

_Bella started cracking up even more and rolled over and off the bed. Edward dropped his hands and shook his head at Bella who was now rubbing her elbow that she fell on and still laughing loudly. "You are a clown!" She said. _

"_Can we be serious for five minutes, Bella?" Edward said trying to hold back a smile. Bella got up from the ground and sat back down on the bed. _

"_I'm sorry. I will be good." She said. Edward smiled, and started his speech once again. He had the same introduction, and he went on to talk about photosynthesis for five minutes. Bella listened to him without making faces or laughing. She just looked at her best friend and admired his confidence in himself and his words. His posture was strong and confident. He was moving his hands to enunciate his words and he was a very effective speaker. She actually learned about photosynthesis from him. Edward concluded the speech and Bella clapped. _

_Edward let out a laugh and his face turned red. "You are crazy, girl." Edward said and started to put his papers away in his bag and Bella smiled. _

"_Oh but you love me." She said and threw herself back on Edward's bed. Her hair was splayed around her with one knee bent and her hands on her stomach. Edward put his backpack to the corner of the room and laid down on the bed beside her. He had his hands behind his head and a part of his stomach was showing from where his shirt rode up. Bella brought her hand to his side and pinched his bare side. Edward jerked and laughed. _

"_Stop it!" He said as she kept pinching his side. He was laughing but trying to get away from her. He took his hands out from behind his head and put Bella in a playful chokehold. She was laughing and still trying to tickle him. They were laughing and then started wrestling on his bed. Edward flipped her over his shoulder onto the bed and she kicked his shins. They kept wrestling until Edward had Bella's hands pinned behind her back. _

"_Okay! Uncle! Uncle!" She said in surrender. He let go and they both collapsed back on the bed, out of breath. _

"_So do you want me to help you with your speech?" Edward asked and looked over at Bella. _

_The playful look on her face disappeared and she shook her head. "No." _

"_Why not?" _

"_Because…" _

"_Because why?" _

"_Because there is no helping me with that. I will just have to wing it." _

"_I can help you, Bella. We have the same teacher but at different times, so I want you to do well." Bella just looked away. "Come on, Bella. Pleeeassee!" He said dramatically like a two year old girl asking for a pony. _

_Bella smiled and looked at him. "Okay, thanks. That sounds good." _

"_Great!" They both got up, and Bella looked over to Edward's clock on the bedside table. _

"_Shit." She said and got up fast from the bed. "Forget that idea." She said and ran to pick up her sneakers from across the room. _

"_Why?" Edward asked. _

"_My Mom is going to be home in five minutes. I wasn't even supposed to come here." She said while trying to put her shoe on and balancing on one foot. _

"_But your speech…" _

"_I will work on it. I promise." Bella said while tying her shoe. _

"_Make sure you do, Bella. This grade is important." Bella walked over to him, hugged him, and kissed him on his cheek. _

"_Stop worrying, buddy. I will do it, I promise you. You will see me tomorrow at lunch beaming because I got the highest grade in the class." _

_Edward smiled at her as she turned to walk out the door. "I won't be your friend if you don't!" He said jokingly. She just laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. _

* * *

_Edward was walking to his locker right before lunch the next day and looking around for Bella. She didn't show up to his house this morning so his parents can bring her to school, so he didn't know if she even went to school or if she did good on her speech. She had that class before lunch, so he wanted to know how it went. She didn't call last night, or come to his house, and he began to worry. _

_He approached his locker and opened it. A ripped piece of white lined paper fell out onto the ground. He bent down to pick it up, and looked at the words on the page. It was in messy handwriting, barely legible, but Edward knew exactly who wrote it. _

_Go to the tree._

_That was all it said, and Edward finished up at his locker quickly. What was she doing at the tree? He thought. It was about 40 degrees outside; she would freeze out there near the tree they always met at afterschool. Thankfully the school allows students to go outside during lunch as long as they stay on the property. He power walked to the front door, and once he felt the cold air from outside hit him, he started running toward their tree. He could see her feet, but that was it. She was sitting on the ground and he ran over to her. He got in front of her and saw that she was shivering and he could tell she had been crying. _

"_Bella! What are you doing out here?" He asked and sat down on the ground beside her. He threw his backpack to the side and unzipped his hoodie. _

"_No! Keep it on, Edward, you don't need to freeze." Bella said with her arms wrapped around herself. _

_Edward sighed and opened his sweater. "Come here." He said softly. Bella smiled and wrapped her arms around his skinny middle and her head was resting on his chest. He put his arms around her, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, holding it around her and making sure her bare arms were blocked from the cold air. _

_Bella sighed in contentment but then started crying. "You are so warm." _

"_What's the matter, honey?" Edward asked while keeping his arms and sweater wrapped around her tight. _

"_I ran out of the class today." _

"_What? Why?" _

"_I choked on the speech and I was so embarrassed, Edward, I felt I could just die. Plus I have a headache and ugh. I felt so stupid." _

"_You aren't stupid Bella. I thought you were going to prepare?" _

_A mix between a sob and a laugh came out of Bella's mouth. "I tried to. I swear to you Edward, I did." _

"_So what happened?" _

"_When I got home, my Mom wanted to take me out. I didn't want to, but I knew she would hit me if I didn't so I went. I brought my notebook and pencil with me." She sniffled and wiped her tears against Edward's shirt, he didn't mind one bit. "We went to some guy's house; I don't know who he was. She just left me alone and was on her way with some guy. There were about five people in the living room; a couple practically having sex on the couch, two guys doing cocaine, and a guy drinking watching the couple." _

"_Why does she take you to those places, Bella?" Edward snapped in resentment. _

"_Shh…its fine, Edward." Bella said and rubbed his back in comfort. "I went into the kitchen to get away from them. I sat down at the table, and started working on the speech. I had trouble at first, but then it got good, I think you would have liked it." _

"_I know I would have." _

"_I know too. I was almost done when she came back downstairs. She was drunk, her nose was bleeding, and she wasn't wearing her bra anymore. She ripped the notebook out of my hands and ripped it up into pieces." _

"_Why would she do that, Bella? That makes no sense." _

"_I know it doesn't but what could I have done?" She sniffled against his chest. _

"_I am not saying it is your fault, but you don't deserve that, Bella." _

_Bella was silent for a couple of seconds and she was rubbing her hand up and down Edward's back. Funny how she was the one comforting him when she was the one treated so unfairly. "She said I was embarrassing her by not being part of the party or whatever. She put the pieces of my notebook in the trash and poured some vodka on top of it. She took the bottle and gave it to me and told me to drink or I would regret it." _

"_I hate her so much, Bella." _

"_I know you do, but there is nothing I can do about it, Edward. I'm sorry." _

"_Don't apologize to me, Bella." Edward said with anger and frustration, but also concern. "I just hate the way she treats you." _

"_I am used to it. It's no big deal." _

_Edward shook his head, trying to make himself believe that was not true. "You want to get out of here?" He asked. _

_Bella lifted her head and looked at him quizzically. "Is Edward Cullen going to be bad ass and skip school with me?" _

_Edward laughed at his friend despite his anger. "I would do anything for you." He said seriously. _

_Bella smiled and kissed his cheek. "Ditto." _

_~End Flashback~_

I pulled up to Rose's house and turned the car off. "Aww come on Daddy! I wiked that song!" Peyton complained from the back seat. I smiled and got out of the car. I opened her door and started unbuckling her.

"Sorry, baby, it's on my iPod; I will let you listen to it when you get home." She kissed my cheek when I picked her up out of the car and I kissed her cheek a million times more on our way to the front door. She giggled and tried to push my face away. I rang the door bell, and Rose answered immediately.

"Hey pretty thing!"

"Hey Rose." I said with a smirk.

"She's not talking to you Daddy!" Peyton said and Rosalie and I laughed.

"I know, because you are the prettiest girl in the world." I said.

She giggled. "I know."

I laughed and kissed her cheeks again. "Okay, I really have to go." I said and handed Peyton over to Rose.

"Alright, we will be here. Just call if you need anything." Rose said.

"I will, and call me too." I said. She nodded her head. I looked at Peyton. "Bye, princess, have fun."

"Love you, Daddy!"

"I love you too, beautiful." I said and leaned over to kiss her forehead. I said bye to Rose again and walked back over to the car. I heard the door shut behind me, and my phone started ringing in my pocket right as I went to open the driver's side door. I went in the car and took it out of my pocket.

It was Bella.

My heart did a bunch of crazy things and I picked it up immediately. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby." She said sounding so sick I just wanted to hold her.

"Hey, love, how are you feeling?"

"Really bad, baby. Mrs. Anderson is going to bring me to the hospital."

I was already driving and close to the highway and I almost swerved off the road. "The hospital?"

"Yes, but calm down, Edward. I just haven't eaten or drank anything since Saturday, and I keep throwing up." She started coughing and I had to restrain myself from heading to her house.

"But you are going to the hospital, Bella."

"I know, and I know you also hate hospitals. I will be fine."

"But Bella…"

"Edward, stop. I will be fine. They will probably just give me fluids and send me on my way. Plus, you have to work."

She had me there. There really wasn't anything I could do by going with her, and if I left work, I would for sure be fired, and that is the last thing I need right now. I have already been given breaks by Mitchell by showing up to work late a couple of times, and I could notice his growing agitation against me, and I will try my best to get him liking me again.

"Okay, but make sure you call me, Bella."

"I miss you, Edward."

I love this woman so much. Why must things be so fucked up? Why does life have to be so complicated? I love her, she loves me, we have two beautiful children; why can't that be enough for us have a normal life where we can just be together and just be happy? Why us?

"I miss you too, love. You know what you have to do to get us back."

She sniffled and started coughing again. "I know. I am working on it."

I have heard this many times, so I tried to not get my hopes up for a recovery from her by tomorrow. "Okay love, I am pulling up to work now, make sure you call me okay?"

"I promise."

"I love you." I said.

"I love you, too. Bye, baby, have a good day." We hung up, and I walked into the building of my work. I took the elevator to my floor, and noticed Karen wasn't at her desk. I went into my office, and saw I had a message on my phone. It was Karen, and Nancy was also sick, so she was staying home to take care of her. Oh how I wish I could do that for my wife.

* * *

I paced in my office going over my speech in my head. We have a meeting in an hour. I think I will be fine, but my mind kept wandering over to different things. Liam's bad mood this morning, if Peyton is having a good day, how Bella is making out at the hospital. I caved and called her about an hour after I got to work just to see how she was doing. She said they were still waiting in the waiting room, and that was about a half an hour ago so they were probably still waiting.

I was interrupted from my internal thinking session by the phone ringing. I instantly ran for it because it was probably Bella. "Hello?" I said.

"Hi, is this Edward Cullen?" Okay, this is a man, not Bella.

"Yes it is."

"This is Mr. Hayley from Seattle Elementary school, and I am going to need you to pick up your son, Liam Cullen."

"Now?" I asked. It was only 10:00.

"Yes. Liam started a fight with a boy in his class, and he is suspended from this school for two days."

"What?" I asked a little too loudly. Liam? Liam got in a fight in school? He started it? Suspended? They suspend elementary school kids?

"Liam jumped on a boy and started punching and hitting him. We asked him why he did it, and he refuses to speak to anyone except his Mom. I tried calling Mrs. Cullen's cell phone, but there was no answer, so I called you." Bella must be in a room by now if she is not answering. There would be no service for her once she got past the waiting rooms.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed loudly. Why is this happening? "Can I send my brother to pick him up, sir? I really can't leave work right now."

"I am sorry Mr. Cullen, but we are not allowed to hand over children to anyone but their parents or legal guardians in the event of a suspension."

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. "Can I go there in a couple of hours at least?" I know I might sound like an asshole right now, but if I leave now, I will be out a job; a job that I love so much.

"Mr. Cullen, you will need to come now."

"But you have my permission over the phone for someone else to pick him up. Please, sir, you don't understand." I know I sounded desperate, but I knew I had absolutely no chance of getting in touch with Bella right now, and Mitchell will for sure fire me if I leave and I want my job so much.

"Mr. Cullen. I am not going to fight with you over this. I already spent 30 minutes fighting to get your son to cooperate and I don't have the patience to do this with you." He snapped. I know I was being difficult, but he didn't have to be that rude.

My shoulders slumped in defeat. This is really it. "I will be there in 10 minutes."

Wow. This is really it.

* * *

I walked on the pathway to Liam's school for the first time as an unemployed man. I went to Mitchell's office to tell him I had to leave, and he flipped out on me. I deserved all of his harsh words and yells, I knew this, but it still hurt to be fired. I mean, I tried so hard at that job, and I loved it. I felt like a failure, and it sucked so much. I practically begged him to give me a second chance, but it was for nothing. I didn't want to leave work, but I was put up against the wall. And now knowing I needed to go pick up Liam after he got in a fight in school was making all of this worse. What was I going to do with him?

I went to the main office, and Liam was sitting in one of the chairs with his knees pulled up to his chest, and his arms wrapped around them staring off into nowhere. I opened the door and he looked over to me. No emotion came on his face, and he just looked away again. I walked to the front desk.

"I am Liam's dad." I said.

"Okay, you just need to sign here." She said and handed me a paper stating Liam's suspension. "Mr. Hayley had a meeting, so he wanted me to tell you that if it happens again, Liam will be expelled from the school."

"I understand. It won't happen again." I said because me and Liam were going to have a long talk when we got home.

She nodded her head. "We will see him in two days then." She said and I nodded. I turned to Liam.

"Let's go." I said. I didn't have an angry tone with him because I didn't want to make a scene. I feel like this might be better to deal with by being calm with him. Julia will be getting a call from me today because I can't let this go on. This is not my son, and I want him back. This boy has so much anger in him, and I know it is because of what is going on with Bella so seeing a psychiatrist can only help him. Hell I might need one soon.

We walked out to the car in silence, and the ride home was in silence, and so was the walk to the door. I unlocked the door, and Liam tried to go up the stairs.

"No I don't think so." I said in a warning tone. He stopped half way and turned towards me. "Come with me to the living room. We need to talk." I said. He sighed and followed me in the living room and he sat down on the couch. I was standing in front of him. "I just have one question for you, Liam." He nodded his head. "Why did you start a fight with that boy?"

"He was making me mad." He said.

"What was he saying?"

"He kept on asking me questions and I didn't want to talk to anyone. He kept asking, and asking, and asking, and asking, so I told him to shut up."

I ran my hands through my hair and groaned. "Why would you say that, Liam?" I asked a little louder than before. The stress of the day was catching up with me. "You know you aren't supposed to say that."

"But I was mad! And then he told me I was a mean and stupid." He started off strong, but then his voice started to fade by the end like he was leaving something out.

"So you hit him?" I asked.

He shook his head and I saw tears build in his eyes. "Not because of that."

His voice was filled with emotion, and it was the first time I think I was glad to see the tears. It was Liam showing some form of emotion in front of me besides resentment and anger. "Well then why Liam? I don't know what it was, but I bet you it was no excuse to fight him. You know better than to start a fight with someone!" I was yelling at him now, and I felt bad as I saw more tears build in his eyes, but I can't let this slide. "What were you thinking? You are better than that Liam! I am so disappointed in you…"

He got up to his feet. "He told me I was stupid and my Mom didn't love me!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and I could tell it was helping him by letting his anger out in some way. He looked liberated for a split second, but then I saw my boy crumble in front of my eyes. He was sobbing and grabbing his chest and fell to the ground. My whole being burned with the pain of seeing my son in so much pain he just collapsed. I stood in shock for a moment before I was on the floor with him, and I pulled him in my arms.

"Shhh…son. Please stop." I begged him as his little body shook in my arms.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, Dad." He said and clung to me. Maybe I should be not be giving into him right now, maybe that is what a parenting expert would say. I don't fucking know, but I believe we have special circumstances here. I just couldn't yell at him right now. I know he is not a bad kid, and he didn't start the fight just to be a brat. He will still be in trouble later, but right now my boy was leaning on me for support for the pain that is way deeper than the words that were spoken to him today by that boy. My boy was young, and confused, and in pain, and was missing his Mom. I am his father, and I don't care what I should be doing right now. I need to comfort my son.

"Shh…it's okay, Liam. Calm down, buddy." I could feel his fingers dig into my back as he gripped onto my shirt. "I got you, son." I said and held onto him tightly. His cries got a little quieter, but he was still crying and it was breaking me in two. "I know you are hurting Liam. I know you miss your Mom. I know, buddy. I wish there was something I could do for you."

"Why can't she c-come home."

"It's complicated, Liam. You won't be able to fully understand it, but trust me your Mom is gone because her and I decided it will be the best for now. Your Mom is sick, and she needs help, it is just going to take her time. But she loves you Liam, don't ever doubt that. Your Mom and I will always love you no matter what."

"I just want us all to be together again."

"I know." I didn't know what to say to help him. "We are working on it. I know things have been hard for you, and I am trying my best to make this better for you. I have been trying so hard, buddy." A tear fell down my cheek and I dropped my head so my cheek was resting on the top of his head. "I'm not perfect, but I promise to do whatever I can to make this better. I will do anything for you."

He nodded his head against my chest and I held him close to me. I don't know for how long this wall he has built will be down, but I will take advantage of it just to remind him how much he means to me. My wife is an alcoholic and living away from me, and I was fired from a job I loved today but I know I will make it because of him and Peyton. Through all of this, they are my constants and I really will do whatever I can for them.

* * *

**Oh man, I feel so bad for Edward and Liam. That last scene was hard to write, but it is necessary. I hope you all like this one! **

**ATTENTION! There is two chapters before the prologue chapter! So that means the prologue chapter will be coming to you next Monday! I am very very very excited for the next chapter though. I am not going to give anything away, but I am excited for it, and I am also excited to write the prologue. **

**I just have to say I love writing this story so much (and WRM), it is one of the best parts of my day when I can just sit down and write, and I am happy to share it all with you, and I hope you are liking it! **

**Also, me and my FFBFF AlexaET are going to be teaming up on a joint project! We have been working on a new story that we are both so excited for! Our penname is MonyAlexa if you want to add it to your alerts or something. We would appreciate it! Also you can follow me and her on Twitter (Blueking141 and AlexaUrce) because we are going to be posting teaser pictures and stuff like that! **

**Thanks for reading, and please review, I will appreciate it so much :]**


	26. Chapter 25: Sacrifice

_**Chapter 25: Sacrifice  
February 3, 2010**_

EPOV

"Going for a walk with Daddy." Peyton sang. "Going for a walk with my Daddy. Going for a walk with my Daaaddddyyyy…" Her voice got really high at that last part and I cringed as she kept the note going for at least 10 seconds. When she stopped, she took a deep breath, and I laughed at her. I had her little hand in mine as we were walking down the street to the post office. I had some bills to send out and get some stamps, and being unemployed means you need to save up on money and gas is expensive, so I decided to take a walk with my little girl.

This past month has been truly bitter sweet. I missed my job a lot, and I missed Karen. When she found out I was fired she called me crying telling me how much she was going to miss me and how much she dreads having to see who she has to work for next. I told her I would miss her too, because I would. Karen was an amazing girl, and we have spent so much time together over the years we became really close. She calls me a couple times a week and came over for dinner with Nancy last week.

Even though I miss Karen and my job, this past month has been so relaxing for me. Well as relaxing as I can be under the circumstances. Bella still isn't living with us, and she is still drinking. She got her own job at a breakfast joint and she waits tables from 6-10am. That is all great, and I am proud of her for at least doing something while she was away from us, but she was still drinking. I really just wish she would stop once and for all and we are just waiting on her.

I hope it will be soon though because the only damper on my happiness right now is not sharing it with her. Things with Liam were a little better since he had his break down. He was still distant, and I still haven't gotten that 'I love you, Dad' I have been craving to hear, but at least he talks to me now.

Today I think is going to be a good day. First of all, I start my new job today. I don't know if it is exactly good because I am now a telemarketer. Yes, I am the annoying bastard that calls your house and tries to sell you shit you don't want. I was hesitant to take the job, but I had the skills for it I guess. I only work from 4:30-8, but I need to have some sort of income. Paying for therapy for two people, medicine for my baby, and all of the other expenses that comes with living have really been hard to keep up with lately since I had no financial income.

Today was also going to be good because Bella was visiting us. We didn't get to go to her house on Sunday because she was working, and I had the interview for my job on that day. It was a surprise though; Peyton nor Liam knew that she was coming over today. She is taking the one o'clock bus and then walking to our house because the bus stop was only five minutes away. I knew Peyton will be so excited to see her, and so will Liam. I just can't wait to see the light in his eyes when Bella is with me when we pick him up from school.

It's a shame that I won't be able to really spend that much time with her though. Emmett has been saying he wants to spend more time with me for some reason. I have no problem with it, I love my brother and some time with him sounds good, but it was really random. I am supposed to meet him at his house at three and we are just going to hang out while Rose and the kids have dinner at Rose's parent's house. I am only going to stay about an hour though because I do need to go to work. Bella is going to stay with the kids until I get out of work.

"Daddy?" Peyton asked.

"Yes, princess."

"I getting tired." She said and I instantly went into Daddy-panic-mode. We were almost there, I could already see the building but I adore that little heart in my baby and it scared me when she told me she was tired. I picked her up instantly and she wrapped her legs around me and rested her head on my shoulder. She was humming in my ear and I smiled. It took us about two minutes to finally make it to the post office and Peyton picked up her head when we got inside. She was waving hi to everyone we walked by, and everyone awed at her and waved back. I bought the stamps and Peyton helped me put them on. I mailed the bills out, and we made our way back home to spend another relaxing day together until Bella came over.

* * *

"Daddy." I heard Peyton call from me from upstairs in her room. She was whining and it sounded like she would be crying soon. She has been trying to take a nap for about a half an hour now. First we both laid down on my bed but she kept tossing and turning. I tried anything I could to make her comfortable, but she just couldn't fall asleep. Finally she just told me to put her in her crib so she can try going to sleep on her own. That was about 10 minutes ago, and I guess it isn't working.

I turned the TV off, and jogged up the stairs to her room. "Hey, beautiful, still not falling asleep?" I asked as I walked closer to her.

"I so tired Daddy." She whined and started wiping her eyes, oh my poor baby.

"I know, baby." I picked her up and she cuddled into my arms.

"Why won't my eyes stay shut, Daddy? I just want to take a little nap."

I rubbed her back. "You want to try the couch?" I felt bad, because everyone has experienced this before and it sucks. It sucks when you are so tired but no matter how hard you try, you can't fall asleep. So I felt her pain, but she was so fucking cute all tired and frustrated that I just wanted to hug her.

She sighed loudly. "I guess so." I walked down the stairs with her, and went to the couch.

"You want the TV on?" I asked her and she shook her head. "Do you want to lay by yourself?"

She shook her head. "No you lay with me." She said and I of course would not object. I laid back on the couch and went on my side. I had my arm out and wrapped around Peyton as she was snuggled into my chest between me and the back of the couch. She closed her eyes and tried going to sleep as I rubbed her back and hummed softly to her. We stood like that for about 10 minutes, and my poor baby still wasn't sleeping and I could tell she was getting really aggravated now. She sat and now she started crying. "I want to take a nap." She cried and my heart broke. I put her in my lap and wrapped my arms around her.

"Why don't you just try later, baby?"

"Because I tired now!" She wailed and I didn't know what to do for her. I heard keys in the front door and my heart jumped. I looked at the clock, and it was just after 1:30; Bella was here. "Who's at the door?" Peyton asked, she had tears on her cheeks and curiosity in her eyes.

"I don't know." I said innocently. The door opened and I could hear the footsteps and seconds later my breath was taken away from me when Bella appeared with a beautiful smile on her face.

"MOMMY!" Peyton screamed in excitement and stood up on the couch and started jumping. I laughed and so did Bella.

She walked over to her with her arms outstretched. "My little girl!" She said and picked up a very eager Peyton. She hugged Bella tightly, and Bella hugged her back and placed kisses on her neck. I smiled at my girls.

Peyton pulled away and put her little hands on Bella's cheeks. "I missed you, Mommy!" She said with her own beautiful smile on.

Bella kissed her forehead. "Oh I missed you too, angel. Were you crying, honey?" She asked as she wiped her fingers over Peyton's cheeks.

"Yeah cause I was tired but my eyes wouldn't go to sleep!" She said and threw her arms out to her sides.

"Oh no! That's not good!"

"I know. But I'm not tired now. I want to play with you!" She said and hugged Bella around her neck.

"Okay! Go get something we can play with until we have to go pick up your brother." Bella said before kissing her cheek and placing her on the floor. She ran over to her toy box and started taking stuff out. I turned to Bella and she had her hands in front of her and looking nervous. I walked around the couch with my arms opened out towards her. A breathtaking smile spread across her face, and she met me halfway by crashing her body into mine. She had a tight grip around my neck, and I had my arm wrapped around her waist, and the other cradling her head.

I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of my other half, feeling my body fill up with a warmth that only she can bring me. It never seizes to blow my mind how much I am in tune with her. "Mmm…I missed you."

I heard her sniffle, and I was surprised she was crying. "I don't think it is as much as I missed you, baby." She sniffled and held onto me tighter. I could feel her hurt, it only added onto mine because her pain was my pain. She pulled away from me and brought her shaking hands to my cheeks as she looked at me with adoration in her eyes.

I brought my hands up to her trembling ones on my face. "Why are you shaking, Bella?"

She let out a humorless laugh and pulled my head down to kiss my forehead. "I don't know I think it is because I am just so happy to be home."

That makes two of us.

* * *

It started raining, so Bella had to go inside the school to pick up Liam. Peyton and I were waiting in the car, and she was of course humming in the back seat. I was getting kind of nervous for two reasons. One is this time I am going to be spending with Emmett. I realize I shouldn't feel this way because he is my brother after all, but I have a feeling this little get together is more than just a time for us to have brother bonding time. The other reason I was nervous was for my job. I haven't started a new job in so long and the unknown was creeping up on me. I don't know what it will be like at all. What if my boss turns out to be an asshole? What if the people I work with are rude and don't like me? So many things were running through my mind. I kind of want to go early just so I don't have to play this waiting game. I hate waiting; it gives you too much time to think.

"Isn't it great Mommy came to visit today?" Peyton asked randomly when the song ended.

"Yeah it is, baby." I said and turned in my seat so I could look at her.

"Is Mommy going to stay wif us?" She asked with wide curious eyes.

"No baby, not now."

She nodded her head, and looked out the window and watched the rain drops fall on the window. "Daddy?" She asked while still looking out the window.

"Yes, princess?"

"I think Mommy should stay."

This was the first time Peyton actually talked to me about Bella leaving directly like this, so I knew she must really be missing Bella. "She can't right now, honey."

"Oh…okay." She said and I could see her little face get really sad and I wished there was another way to do this, but this was the only way I could think of now. Bella being away from us hurt, but at least the kids weren't witnessing her drunk every day, because that is the last thing I want is for them to think it is normal for Bella to be like that all the time. So this way was better for them I think, I just wish it didn't hurt them as much as it does.

"Hey."I said and she looked at me with her beautiful blue-green eyes. "Your Mom loves you, baby."

She nodded her head. "I know."

"Hopefully your Mom will be home with us really soon. We just have to be patient, okay baby?"

"Okay." She said and another song came on so she started humming along. I smiled at her, and then turned back in the driver's seat. I watched the front door of the school as people started filling out. I didn't miss watching Bella walk out with a beaming Liam besides her holding her hand. I smiled as I once again realized how much Liam adores Bella. Bella has not been the perfect mother, but Liam still sees in her what I see and I love him more for that. Bella deserves to be loved no matter what. Now as I watch mother and son walk out of the school smiling so wide and happy, I think back on when Bella found out she was pregnant and how scared she was, although her fears were for nothing…

_~Flashback~_

_**22 Years Old**_

"_I'll have three pancakes with bacon and sausage please." Edward told the waitress. _

"_Okay! And what about you?" The waitress asked Alice. _

"_I think I will just have Fruit Loops." Alice said and gave the waitress her menu. The waitress walked away. _

_Edward shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. "You spend 10 minutes looking at that menu, and you choose Fruit Loops?"_

_Alice picked up the straw wrapper, crumbled it up, and threw it at Edward's forehead. "Fruit Loops are goooood." She said and Edward chuckled and rolled his eyes. _

"_If you say so, Alice." _

"_So how are things, Edward?" Alice asked with a smile. Alice was visiting from college. She goes to school in Los Angeles. _

_Edward shrugged. "Alright, I guess." _

"_Alright? That doesn't sound like something a newlywed would say." Edward just shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of coffee. Alice's shoulders dropped. "Is Bella still drinking?" She asked. _

"_Yes…I mean no. I don't know." _

"_Uh…okay I am a little lost." _

"_She is still drinking, but she hasn't been for these past four days." Edward said while swirling his index finger over the rim of his coffee mug. _

"_Now I am even more confused…how is that a bad thing?" _

"_It's not. It's an amazing thing, but I don't know…she has been really distant with me since then." _

"_Hmm…" Alice said with an inquisitive look on her face. "How so?" _

"_You know, she has been really quiet. She has been really tired, she doesn't want to…you know…" Edward tried to tell her what he meant by just using his hands and Alice took this opportunity to mess with him. _

"_No, I am afraid I don't know, Edward. Why don't you elaborate?" _

"_Hahaha…no." Edward said and Alice laughed. _

"_Okay, I get it now. So she doesn't want to sleep with you. I don't blame her." _

"_Alice!" Edward said, appalled by her random stab at his manhood. _

"_What? You're my brother, Edward. I'm sorry but thinking about anyone doing that with you is enough to make me want to gouge my eyes out with a heated metal spoon." _

_Edward laughed and shook his head. "I guess I see your point."_

"_So she has been distant…that bothers you I take it." _

"_Well of course it does, Alice. I am so used to her being drunk all the time, and now she isn't, but I am not even able to enjoy it." _

_Alice sighed. "Why don't you just leave her?" _

_Edward choked on his coffee and he put his hand over his mouth so none of it would come out. He coughed after he swallowed, and some people were staring. "Are you crazy?" He asked and started coughing again. _

"_No." _

"_Come on, Alice. I would never do that." _

"_But if you are unhappy why put yourself through that." _

"_I am not unhappy, Alice. I love Bella. Just because she is having a couple of rough days doesn't mean I am going to leave her. I am a little offended by that, Alice." _

_Alice sighed. "I'm sorry. But I just don't think you should have to deal with her when she is like that." _

"_Deal with her?" Edward was getting increasingly upset._

"_Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Ughh…" Alice ran her hands through her hair. "I didn't mean it like that. I just I don't know…you should be happy, Edward." _

"_I am happy, Alice. The only thing that would make me unhappy is being away from Bella, and that will never change." _

"_Okay, I'm sorry." _

_Edward sighed. "It's okay. I am going to talk to Bella, we will be fine. Can we talk about something else?" _

* * *

_Edward walked into his and Bella's apartment and noticed she was curled up on the couch with his sweater on and sweatpants. She turned her head to look at him and gave him a small smile. "Hi, baby." _

_Edward sat down next to her, and then she curled up into his side. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Bella lifted her head and kissed his lips. Edward of course kissed her back without hesitation. They kissed deeper, and Edward thought that she finally got over her little funk, and so he took advantage of the situation and put his hands under the sweater and moved his hands along her bare sides. He could feel the goosebumps form on her skins as she shivered in pleasure. Edward shifted himself so he could push Bella down on her back on the couch. As soon as he got her lying below him though, and they were still kissing, Bella pushed against his chest. Edward groaned. _

"_Not right now, baby." _

"_May I ask why?" Edward asked, he wasn't pressuring her into doing it, he just wanted to make love to his wife, and she wouldn't let him so he was frustrated. _

"_I don't feel very good." She said. Edward scoffed and got off of her. _

"_You don't look sick, Bella." _

"_I know, but I really don't feel good. It's not that I don't want to baby, I just..ugh." She said and put her hand over her stomach. _

"_Let me guess…now your stomach hurts." _

"_Edward…" She started. "I'm not lying." Edward didn't answer here and just started changing the channel on the TV. "Edward please, you know I want to. I love you I-" Bella wasn't able t finish her sentence and she shot up from the couch and ran to the bathroom in the hallway. Edward stood in shock on the couch because she left so fast. He cringed and felt like an ass when he heard Bella throwing up violently into the toilet. He turned the TV off and went into the bathroom to see her bent over the toilet and trying to hold her own hair out of her face. Edward knelt down beside her and held her hair in his hands as she threw up. He rubbed her back with his other hand as she hacked into the toilet bowl, tears falling from her eyes from the force. Edward felt horrible for treating her like he did. _

_Bella finally stopped throwing up and she flushed the toilet. She got up on shaky legs and went to rinse her mouth off at the sink. Edward was next to her, rubbing her back soothingly. "What's the matter, love?" He asked. Bella got a tooth brush out and started brushing. _

"_It must just be a bug." She said unconvincingly. Edward could tell there was something she was keeping for him and he began to get mad again. _

"_I don't think so…" He said. _

"_It is, Edward." _

"_And now you are lying to me!" Edward said and threw his arms up in the air and let them fall to his sides. _

"_No I'm not." _

"_Whatever, Bella." Edward said, giving up on trying to get an answer out of her. He headed for the door. _

"_Wait!" Bella said, and Edward turned around. She let out a breath. "I'm sorry, okay? You are right; I don't think it is a bug." _

_Edward walked back to her and stood in front of her. He took both her hands in his. "You can tell me anything, Bella." _

"_I know." She said. _

"_Soo…" _

_Bella stared into Edward's green eyes while she contemplated how she was going to say what she was about to say. "Okay, promise you won't freak out or anything?" _

"_Promise."_

"_I umm….I think…Wow this is hard." She said and let out a humorless laugh. "I think I might be pregnant." _

_Edward's expression did not change. "Can you repeat that, I think I may have misunderstood?" _

_Bella laughed and kissed his lips. "You're cute. And you didn't misunderstand, I think there is a possibility I am pregnant." _

"_Are you serious?" Edward asked, he could feel his palms sweating; this was not what he was expecting at ll. _

"_Nope! Just kidding!" Bella said sarcastically and Edward glared at her. Bella kissed him again. "I am serious." _

"_Holy fuck." Edward said. _

"_Holy fuck is right." Bella said. _

"_We didn't plan this…" _

"_I know, but we don't even know for sure yet. It could just be a bug, and then we don't have anything to worry about it. I would understand if you were mad or something. I didn't mean it I mean…" Edward laughed and put his hand over Bella's mouth to stop her rambling. _

"_I wouldn't be mad, Bella, and I know you didn't do it on purpose." He said and started laughing at her absurdity. "Do you want me to pick up a test?" She nodded her head. "You want to come with me?" He asked. _

"_Yes." She mumbled through his hand over her mouth. _

_Edward laughed and kissed her mouth. "Let's go then." _

* * *

"_Do you want me to check?" Edward asked from his spot on the floor in front of the bathtub. They were both in the bathroom and Bella already took the test, and it was time to check, but Bella hesitated. _

"_I can do it." She said. Edward nodded his head and Bella picked up the test from the counter. She brought it up to her vision. She gulped. "What was the color if it was positive again?" She asked. _

"_Blue." Edward said. _

_A tear instantly fell from Bella's eye, and she placed the test on the counter. She wiped her eyes and walked out of the room. Edward was shocked at her actions, and instantly felt his heart sink. It must have been negative. He got up from the floor and went to the test. He picked it up, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the line on the test was indeed blue. It was positive. Bella was pregnant, but why was she crying? _

_Edward put the test down on the counter again and went to find Bella. He could hear her crying in their bedroom so he walked in there. Bella was sitting on the floor in front of the bed with her knees pulled to her chest and crying in what Edward could only interpret as fear and sadness. "Bella…" He said and sat down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and she curled into his chest and cried. "Bella why are you crying? Do you not want to have a baby?" _

_Bella shook her head against his chest and held onto him tighter. "No that's not it. Having a baby with you makes me so absolutely happy, Edward. I cannot believe I am holding a little part of you and me inside of me."_

"_Then why are you crying, love?" _

_Bella lifted her head to look at him. "I can't be a mother, Edward." _

"_Bella that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." _

"_Really, Edward? Do you think I am cut out to be a mother? I don't even know what being a mother means. You have seen the only example I have to go by, and I would absolutely hate myself if our child felt about me the way I feel about her."_

"_That won't happen, Bella." _

_More tears fell from Bella's eyes and she whimpered. "How do you know that, Edward? What if it is genetic and I turn out just like her." _

"_Bella." Edward said and pulled her away from him so he was looking in her eyes. He cupped her face in his hands. "You are not your mother, and nor will you ever be." She started to say something. "Shh.." Edward said. "You are incapable of treating anyone, especially your child, the way your mother has treated you Bella. Think of some of the things your mother has said to you, baby. Would you ever say that to our baby?" _

"_Absolutely not." She said instantly. _

_Edward kissed her forehead lightly. "Okay, so you have nothing to worry about, love." _

"_But Edward, I don't know how to be a parent." _

"_And you think I do?" Edward asked with a smile. "We are going to learn this together, Bella. Now I don't know about you, but I already love this baby more than I have ever loved anything that I have never met before." _

_Bella smiled. "I know what you mean. The feeling is unlike anything I have felt before." Bella said and put her hand over her stomach. _

"_See? There you go, Bella. You already love this baby, and love is always a good place to start. We may not be perfect parents, but at least we both know that this baby will always know love." _

_Bella smiled and brought Edward's hands from her face to her stomach. "I want this baby to be just like you, baby." _

_Edward scrunched up his nose. "Oh hell no, I was an ugly ass baby." _

_Bella laughed. "You were not! You were so cute, Edward!" _

"_Yeah, you only say that because you love me. Take a picture of me from when I was a newborn, show it to someone, and they would think I was a naked mole rat or some shit." _

_Bella slapped his chest. "Shut up! Our baby will not look like a naked mole rat!" _

_Edward laughed and hugged Bella to his chest. "You're right, our baby won't. But that's just because you are its mother." _

_Bella scoffed. "Yeah right, I looked like an alien." _

"_Aww shit, our baby is screwed." _

_Bella laughed and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck. "I am sure our baby will just get the good parts of us." She said and kissed Edward's lips. _

"_Let's hope so." _

_~End Flashback~_

Liam in no way looked like neither a naked mole rat nor an alien. He was a beautiful baby so I think Bella was right when she said he would get the best parts of both of us because he really did. I was also right because Bella and I were not perfect parents at all, but we try our best to do right by our children. Bella may be an alcoholic, but it doesn't mean she is a horrible mother. This is something she has lived with for a while now, and I personally think she was a good mother considering the circumstances, and what she grew up with. I could tell she was trying her best, but I really think Bella could be a close to perfect mother if she got help and got sober.

Liam hugged Bella around the waist before he climbed into the back seat. "Hi Peyton! Hi Dad!" Liam said excitedly.

Peyton just waved at him and continued singing. "Hi, son. How was your day?" I asked him.

"It was good!" He then went into telling everyone about his day, and his stories were so amazing to me. Bella sat sideways in her seat so she was facing the kids and listening and responding to them intently. I really felt bad that she had to spend so much time away from them because they were what was keeping me sane these days and who does she have?

We made it to the house soon after and both Liam and Peyton were both happier than I have seen them in a long time and I started rethinking my decision of having Bella live away from us. We really weren't a whole family without her.

* * *

I knocked on Emmett's door and I heard his heavy footsteps make it to the door. He opened the door. "Edward! Good to see you, bro." He said and then gave me a hug, slapping me on the back.

"Hey, Emmett." I said and walked in with him. He waved me over to the kitchen, and he took out soda and he was already eating Doritos. I sat down at the table with him and we ate Doritos and soda, and just talked about anything and everything. I was actually enjoying my time with Emmett because we barely ever get any time to just hang out. We mostly just talked about our kids, but they were our lives, so it made sense.

Everything was going great until the subject of Bella came up. "So who is with the kids?" Emmett asked.

"Bella." I said and put a Dorito in my mouth.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Um…yes." What was he getting at?

"Wow, I really can't believe you, Edward."

"What?" I asked defensively. I don't know what his issue is. His attitude just took a complete 360 turn and it was making me mad.

"You are such a pushover, that's what." He said. I really don't understand what I did to deserve this.

"Emmett…what the hell? Everything was fine and now you are freaking bullying me."

"I'm sorry, Edward, but that whole situation with Bella really pisses me off."

I was shocked just because the mood in the room changed so fast and it was giving me whiplash. "I don't know what I did wrong."

"You are letting her be alone with the kids?" He yelled.

"Whoa, Emmett don't fucking yell at me." I said and he seemed to realize how he was losing his temper. "And why wouldn't I? They are her kids."

"Yes, unfortunately." He said under his breath and I instantly tensed up.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"No, just say it, Emmett. What the fuck did you just say about my wife?" He can bully me all he wants, but not Bella. She isn't even here to defend herself, so I will have to do it for her even if it is against my brother.

"Calm down, Edward. I just made a decision yesterday, that's all."

"And what decision was that, Emmett?"

"That I am going to be more involved with you, Bella, and your kids. Someone has to step in and clean up that mess."

"Are you really calling my family a mess?" I was so fucking mad, it was taking everything inside of me not to punch him in the face right now. I always knew Emmett was a painfully honest person, but this was all too much at once, his words were hurtful.

"No." He groaned. "Yesterday…yesterday when Peyton was here, we couldn't find her. Well it's not like we lost her, but she just slipped off on her own. Guess where she was?"

He looked hurt as he was telling the story and I began to worry. "Where?"

"She was in the guest bedroom. I walked in, and she was curled up on the bed with her back to me. She was humming some song. I went to where I could see her, and she was crying, Edward."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "What?" My voice cracked.

"She was crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she just wiped her tears away and smiled like nothing was wrong. That is not right, Edward. You have to see how that is not normal for a two year old to be holding in those emotions, and putting on a happy face when she feels it is necessary."

I could feel my knees get weak at his words and I just couldn't believe it. My poor baby. I had no idea that she was feeling like that. She has been the bright light through all of this and to know she was just putting on that façade to placate me surprised me and hurt me. She was growing up too fast, just like Liam has, she just had a better way of hiding it. In that moment I realized that both of my children have lost a part of their innocence, and the realization was enough to make me dizzy. "What am I supposed to do?" I asked as I buried my face in my hands.

"I think you need to leave her, Edward. A clean break, just get away."

My head lifted instantly at his words. "That is not going to happen, Emmett."

"And why not, Edward?"

"Because they are sad when she is gone, but when she is here, they are so happy. You should have seen them today when they both saw her, Emmett."

"That is because for one time in the week she is sober! What about those other times when she is drunk and not even there?"

I ran my hand through my hair and pulled. I groaned. "It's not that easy, Emmett. I can't just leave her."

"You can." He said.

"No I can't!"

"Why, Edward?" He asked more fiercely. "Why can't you do it, Edward?"

"What about you, Emmett? What if Rosalie was in Bella's place? What if your wife was suffering every day of her life and you couldn't do anything for her?" I got up from the chair, and tears started falling from my face as I talked through gritted teeth. "How would you feel if every fucking thing you did was wrong and only hurt your family more each time? You have no idea how that feels, Emmett." I yelled and wiped the tears from my eyes with my sleeve.

Emmett walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "I don't know how it feels, Edward."

I was shaking my head. "What if it was Rose, Emmett? Do you think you would be able to just walk away from her when she needed you?"

"If it meant protecting, my children, then yes."

I shrugged his hand off of my shoulders. "How is that protecting them, Emmett? Really…tell me how that will benefit my children. How is me taking away the mother that they both love so fully, helpful to them. They will hate me, Emmett."

"Edward…" He said and then put his hand back on my shoulder. "If Bella really loves all of you the way she says she does, she will find help and somehow get back to you guys. But if you keep on enabling her like this, she is never going to get help."

"So I should take her kids away from her completely? That is punishing her, Emmett. That is not fair at all."

"And her being a drunk is fair to all three of you?" He asked rhetorically. "Look, I know you love Bella."

"I do. I love her so much, Emmett. That is what makes this so hard." My voice got high at the end with the emotion in my voice and more tears started falling. I was sick of crying. I was sick of this pain.

"I know." He said sympathetically. "I know leaving her is going to hurt you just as much as it is going to hurt her. But this is a sacrifice you have to make, Edward."

My hands were shaking now; just thinking about this had me falling apart. "Why is this so fucking hard, Emmett? Some days I just want to give up. I feel like I have the world on my shoulders." I told him. I was close to sobbing now, and I felt so weak, but it felt good to let this out.

"I know, Edward." Emmett said with emotion in his voice.

"Everything I do is wrong. No matter the decision I make, it will end up hurting someone I love." A sob got caught in my throat and I could see Emmett had tears in his eyes. "It hurts me too, Emmett. I know my pain isn't as important as my kid's pain, but it does hurt. It all just hurts so fucking bad." I said and then Emmett pulled me close to him. I sobbed harder and clung to my big brother. He had a tight grip around me, and it felt good having someone comforting me for once.

I pulled away only seconds later, I knew I needed to get it together. "So do you think you are going to do it?" Emmett asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know."

I don't know if I am strong enough for that.

* * *

I pulled up to the office building 20 minutes before I was supposed to be there. I figured they wouldn't get mad at me for coming early. I stopped home to change after I left Emmett's house. I was hoping to maybe get to spend just a little more time with Bella, but all three of them were taking a nap. I walked in on them all sleeping on mine and Bella's bed, and it was a beautiful sight to see. I was glad Peyton was able to take that nap she wanted so much to take. There weren't very many parking spaces around this building, so I parked on the street. The building was big, probably 11 stories or so. I was to go to the 6th floor. I took the elevator and then walked into the office area for the telemarketers.

I walked up to the front desk and there was a young girl there snapping her gum. "Excuse me?" I said. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Well hello." She said while looking me up and down. Creepy.

"Can you point me to where Mr. Wright is?" I asked.

"I can bring you to him!" She said and got up from behind the desk and in front of me. She brought me past a set of doors and into what was unmistakably the working area. There were dozens of cubicles throughout the room. The sounds of people talking, phones hanging up, and ringing filled the air. She brought my down one of the isles and I got a chance to observe some of the workers. Each of them were saying the same thing when the picked up the phone. Some I saw were amused, some were aggravated, and some had no emotion at all. I wonder what category I will fall under. The lady opened the door to a room that was off to the side where my new boss was. He was a young guy; maybe even younger than me. "Here's the new guy!" She said.

"Oh, Mr. Cullen, nice to see you." He walked to the other side of the desk and shook my hand. He had a Bluetooth headset on and a pocket protector. He meant business I guess.

"Nice to see you also." I said as I shook his hand. He had black hair that was shaved really short. His eyes were so brown they were almost black looking. I haven't really seen eyes like that. Bella's eyes were brown, but they were a more a milky chocolate brown.

"Okay, I am kind of busy right now, but I will brief you on the essentials so you can get started right away."

"Okay, sounds good." I said.

He went into his desk and took out a paper. "Here is the script you have to go by. Read exactly what is on it. There will be a list of numbers on your workstation, and Jade will bring you to it. We already had a briefing on Sunday, so you will be okay right?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"I will call you in to talk about more before you leave." He said.

"Okay, thank you." He smiled and kind of waved us out. Jade was walking in front of me and swaying her hips a little too suggestively. For the love of God…

She stopped at a cubicle. "This is your workstation!" She said happily. "The numbers are all right there. There is your headset, the computer, your chair." Why she was naming all of the items at my workstation I will never know but I didn't want to be rude. "I have a break at six if you want to meet me outside for a smoke or something."

"I don't smoke." I said and sat down at the desk. There was a wall in front of me and on my sides, definitely a downgrade from my office at the advertisement agency.

"Oh well we could still talk and do other stuff…" She said suggestively and ran her hands through her hair.

I held my ring finger out to her and wiggled it at her. "I'm married." I said.

She pouted and then walked away with a huff. Come on now, what have I gotten myself into? It didn't help that I haven't really had a great day, and now I have to be here. I looked to each of my sides, and there were two men around me. I gave each of them a polite smile and they just glared at me. This job is going to suck. I looked ahead of me, and I could see there was another person in front of me, I was guessing man, by the short brown hair, but it could have been a woman, I don't know.

I hope this goes by fast.

* * *

People are fucking mean to telemarketers.

Most of my phone calls went a little something like this.

"Hello."

"Hello am I speaking to Joanne Compton?"

_Click_

Next one.

"Hello?"

"Hello am I speaking to Vera Brady?"

"Yes."

"Oh well how are you doing to-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH" Ow, my ears.

_Click_

"Yo."

"Hello am I speaking to Tyler Teixeira?"

"Yes you are, what's up dude?"

"Nothing much, just wondering if you have ever thought of maybe buying a new vacuum cleaner?"

"Oh I am! Tell me more!" I could note the sarcasm in his voice, and I knew this was just going to be bad for me.

"Great! Well we have-"

"FUCK YOU!"

_Click_

"Hello?"

"Hello, am I speaking to Linda Levine?"

"Yes you are big boy." She said in a seductive voice. Oh fuck.

"Oh well how are you doing today…"

"You sound sexy."

"Er…So are you doing good?" Awkward.

"What are you wearing?"

_Click_

That was me that time.

I took the headset off of my head and threw it on the desk. I sighed loudly and buried my face in my hands. This job is going to drive me crazy. I heard a chuckle across from me; that is definitely a man.

"The first day is always the worst." A gruff voice said, and I was surprised someone in this place was being nice to me.

"How do you do this every day?" I asked. I saw that he was now sitting straighter in his seat and I could see his eyes over the top of the wall separating us. He had milky chocolate eyes; that was the only way to describe them. His hair wasn't as long as mine, but it wasn't shaved either.

"You get used to it. I actually laugh at it now. Some of the stuff people say is actually funny." He said and chuckled again.

"Well I hope I can get there someday."

"You will, don't worry."

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence." I said. I heard the wheels move on his chair as he pushed his chair back. His head went down, before reappearing before me so I could see his whole face. He was an older man with his brown hair, brown eyes, and mustache above his lips.

"What is your name?" He asked politely, he was leaning over the cubicle wall. His eyes were kind with laugh lines around them, although kind looking, his eyes also looked sad.

"Edward Cullen." I said.

He reached his hand out to me to shake. I shook it. "Nice to meet you, Edward. My name is Charlie. Charlie Clearwater."

I nodded my head and smiled. Maybe I could actually make a friend. This guy seems really cool, and there was something familiar about his presence.

"Nice to meet you, Charlie."

* * *

**:O**

**I have to say if there is one thing I love about writing Fanfic, it is that my readers already know the characters. So being able to add this little bit of dramatic irony is just so great! **

**I would like to thank my FFBFF, Alexa, for pre-reading this bad boy, I really appreciated it! **

**Alexa and I are also working on a joint project together if you didn't know. She wrote that really awesome story "The Beauty of His Eyes". Our penname is MonyAlexa so be sure to look out for our story! **

**I don't really know what else to say except I hope you all liked the chapter! Review please and just tell me what you are thinking! **

**Next chapter is the chapter before the prologue! **

**Review please :]**


	27. Chapter 26: Nightmare

_**Chapter 26: Nightmare  
March 15, 2010**_

EPOV

I was sitting down on the chair in the waiting room feeling so antsy. My leg was bouncing, and my eyes were trained on Peyton sitting across from me looking at a Parenting magazine with my iPod in her ears. We were at Julia's office this morning for Liam. He has been seeing her ever since he had his break down, and she has helped him a lot, but he has needed extra help these past two weeks, because Bella only seemed to be getting worse. These past two Sundays when we were supposed to visit her, we haven't because I called her and she was drunk as hell. I was pissed at her, and Liam and Peyton were getting increasingly upset also, except it has been towards me.

Liam was up all night crying last night, so I decided to not make him go to school today, and instead I called Julia and asked her if she would allow an emergency appointment for him. He has pretty much shut me out completely since yesterday, and I was once again lost as to what I should do next.

I heard the door open, and saw Julia walk out with Liam in front of her. He had his head down, but I could tell he was crying. I got up from the chair as he walked towards where I was standing. I was surprised but delighted when he walked straight up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I put one hand on his back and the other on his head and ran my hands through his hair.

"You okay, buddy?" I asked and he nodded his head against my stomach. I looked up to Julia. "Everything good?" I asked.

She nodded her head. "Yes, but I would like to have a word with you, Edward, if you don't mind."

"Of course." I said. Liam pulled away from me, and I wished I didn't have to move. I squatted down in front of him. "I am just going to go talk to Julia, alright? I will be right back, just stay with your sister."

He nodded and I kissed his forehead. I looked over at the secretary and she nodded, letting me know that she would keep an eye on them. Liam walked over to sit next to Peyton, and I followed Julia into her office. I sat down at the seat and waited, but Julia didn't seem like she was going to start.

"So…what is it? Is Liam okay?" I asked.

She took a moment before she answered, I could practically see her thinking of how she was going to say whatever it was she was going to say. "I am going to be frank, Edward, and I don't think you will like what I have to say."

Wow. "Um…okay. Just say it, I trust your judgment."

"I know you took a big step when you approached Bella about leaving." I nodded my head, letting her know I was listening intently. "I think that you should think about taking an even bigger one and completely separating you and the kids from Bella."

I have heard this all before, people telling me I should leave Bella, and I have been putting it off. Maybe I am weak for doing it, but the only real reason I have is that I am scared…so fucking scared. The thing about leaving Bella is that it could be really good, or really bad. And with my luck these days, I have a feeling it will be so bad it will be beyond repair. If I do this, Liam and Peyton will be even worse than they are now. I mean look at Liam! Two weeks without seeing Bella, and he is a different kid all over again! I couldn't imagine seeing him like that all the time. And Peyton unfortunately is picking up on things way more than I have realized, so is taking her mother completely from her the right thing? And then of course there is Bella. What if I leave Bella and she doesn't get help, and only gets worse because she feels she has nothing to fight for? She has suffered depression since we lost our baby, how am I supposed to know that won't escalate when I leave? The possibilities of what Bella could do when we leave make my stomach drop.

"I don't know if I can." I said.

"You can, Edward. I really think you should. Talk to me, let me know your worries and I will try and help you."

"They will all be so hurt…I will hurt."

"No one ever said it wouldn't hurt, Edward, but can you honestly say you all aren't hurting right now?"

She had a point. "No."

"Exactly."

"But what about Liam? You see how affected he is when he can't see her."

"That is another thing I wanted to talk to you about. Liam does get upset and his emotions are really scattered, and I believe it is mostly because he is confused. I think you should explain to him everything that is going on."

I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with that. "You mean explain how Bella is an alcoholic?"

"Yes. You can censor it however you want, but you need to make him understand that what is happening is no one's fault, and it is just something you unfortunately all have to deal with right now."

I nodded my head; maybe that will be the best way. "Okay."

"Good, do you have any questions?"

"Umm…" I didn't know if I would sound like an asshole for asking this, but I guess I should. "Do you have any advice on how I should deal with it? You know, dealing with being away from her?" I asked and swallowed the lump in my throat.

Julia's face fell, and I could see the sympathy in her eyes. She knows how much I love Bella; she knows this will be hard for me. "There really isn't a right way to deal with it Edward, but I want to help you and Bella as much as I can because I know how strong you guys are and how much you love each other. I really want to see the both of you happy. So you know you can feel free to start appointments with me whenever you feel you need it." I nodded my head and wiped my eyes to make sure the tears that were building there didn't fall. "It will be hard, but I honestly believe that you and Bella can make it out of this."

"Thank you. I hope you are right."

* * *

I peeked down to see if Peyton was sleeping yet. It was only 11 am, but she told me she was really tired, so was lying on my chest while watching TV. She hasn't made a comment for a while though, and her breath was evening out. I shifted her a little bit, but she barely even stirred, so she was definitely sleeping. I got up with her still in my arms, and walked up the stairs to lay her down. I placed her in her crib, and she just sighed in her sleep and curled up in bed. She looked so beautiful and comfortable. She was lying on her side like Bella does. She reminds me so much of Bella; sweet, kind, funny, beautiful and so much more.

I kissed her forehead, and headed out of her room to let her rest. I walked across the hall and knocked on Liam's door. He has been in there since we got back from Julia's office. I decided to give him his space, but now I really wanted to talk to him if he will let me.

"Come in." He said.

I opened the door, and saw he was sitting at his desk doing a puzzle that Bella bought him for his birthday. Puzzles were his thing now. I pulled up one of his small chairs beside him. He already had half of the outside pieces done. I leaned my head on my hand and looked at him. "You are doing very good, bud."

"Thanks." He said and continued trying to fit the pieces.

"Would you…" I stopped, kind of nervous on what his answer will be. "Would you mind if I helped?" I asked. I was grasping at straws here; I just wanted to do something normal with him.

"Yeah that's okay." He said and I let go of the breath I was keeping in. I turned in the seat and started to pick up some pieces. Liam was really good at it, he would pick up a piece and I could see his eyes scanning the other pieces for a fit before he tried it out. He was right most of the time, and when he wasn't, he would just try again. I think I put down four pieces because I was mostly just watched him.

"Are you feeling better now, buddy?"

He nodded his head, but kept his eyes on his work. "Yeah."

"You know there is no reason to…"

"I don't really feel like talking about it right now, Dad." He said.

"Okay, okay." I didn't want to pressure him. If he wasn't going to talk to me now, maybe he will later when he is ready. "Do you want to talk about other stuff? I really like talking to you bud."

"I like talking to you too, Dad."

I smiled. "Well good. You want to tell me about school? Your friends?"

He shrugged. "School is kind of boring, but I have some friends."

"Good friends right?"

"Yeah they are good."

"Why don't you have any of them come here?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "I don't really have a close friend. A best friend, I don't have one."

"Yet." I said. "You don't have one yet, but you will, Liam. Trust me, you are such a great kid, you will find a really good friend."

"Did you have a best friend?" He asked curiously.

I smiled at him. "I had a very good best friend."

"Who was he?" He asked. He wasn't doing the puzzle anymore, and he had his full attention on me.

"It wasn't a he."

"Ew your best friend was a girl?" He asked, looking completely disgusted by the idea of it.

I chuckled. "Yes, and do you want to know who that was?" I asked. Bella and I haven't had this conversation with Liam before, he knew we have known each other for a long time, but he doesn't know for how long. He nodded his head. "You're Mom."

His eyes lit up and bugged out of his head. "Mom was your best friend?"

"She still is." I said.

"Wow. How long have you known each other?"

"Since we were five years old."

His eyes bugged out even more. "That was a long time ago! You and Mom are so old!"

I playfully shoved his shoulder and he laughed. "We are not that old, Liam! I am only 30 and so is your Mom!"

"That's old, Dad."

I laughed; I guess that is kind of old to an eight year old. "Oh whatever." I said.

"What were you both like as kids?" He asked with his eyes lighting up, I was glad he was getting so excited to talk about something.

"We were good. Your Mom was the nicest little girl, and I was a little bit of a troublemaker."

"You?" He asked like it was the craziest thing. "You were a troublemaker?"

I nodded my head and smiled. "Yes. I wasn't that bad, but I did some troublesome things when I was younger."

"And Mom didn't?"

I shook my head. "Not usually. But I did make her get in trouble once."

"You did?"

"Yes."…

_~Flashback~_

_**5 Years Old**_

"_Dad, I don't think I can go to school today." Edward told his father who was making some eggs and bacon for all three of them to eat. _

_Ed smirked. "And why is that, Edward?" _

"_I think I am going to be sick in a couple of minutes." _

_Ed threw his head back and laughed. "I highly doubt that, bud."_

_Edward started fake coughing and Ed laughed louder. Elizabeth walked in and smiled. "What's so funny?" _

"_I don't feel so good, Mommy." Edward said and sniffled the best he could with a clear nose. _

"_Oh what's the matter, baby?" She asked concernedly, and walked over to him and put her hand on his forehead. "You do seem a little warm." _

"_Liz, he is not sick." Ed said. _

"_What do you mean? Feel his head!" She said and ran her hands through Edward's hair. _

"_Okay, well if he is sick, than that means Bella can't come over today and he can't watch TV for the rest of the day." _

_Elizabeth looked down at Edward. Edward sighed. "I guess I feel better now." He said and Elizabeth laughed. _

"_Don't play tricks on your Mom like that, baby." She said and kissed the top of his head. They all sat down as Ed served them their food, and they began eating. Elizabeth gave Ed a look, communicating with him with her eyes, they way only people in love can do. Ed nodded slightly, and then turned to Edward. _

"_So Edward, your Mom and I have been thinking about something, and we wanted to know what you think about it." _

_Edward covered his scrambled eggs with ketchup. "Alright." He said and took a bite of his eggs. _

"_How would you feel about maybe having a little brother or little sister?" Elizabeth asked him with a motherly smile on her face. _

_Edward looked up and his mother, then his Dad, chewing slowly. "Umm…I don't know." _

"_Edward it will be so great. Imagine having a little brother? You could teach him all that you know or what about a little sister?" Elizabeth said. _

"_Will it be a baby?" Edward asked. _

"_For a little while, yes. But babies grow up, Edward." Elizabeth said. _

"_That's good then, because babies stink." Edward said and scrunched up his nose. Ed and Elizabeth both laughed. Edward took a bite of bacon. _

"_So you think it would be a good idea?" Elizabeth asked hopefully. _

"_Sure." Edward said and Elizabeth squealed. She leaned over kissed Ed on the lipa, and then picked Edward up from the seat and hugged him tightly. _

"_You continue making me the happiest mother ever, baby." She said and kissed his cheeks. She had tears coming down her eyes, feeling so happy that her son was okay with another baby. _

* * *

"_Okay children, find your partners and hold their hands!" Edward scooted over to where Bella was standing and took her hand. She blushed and smiled at him. "Okay now single file line everyone so we can go out to recess!" The teacher told the children. "Silence down the hallway!" _

_Edward and Bella got in line. "So what do you want to do at recess today?" Edward whispered to Bella. Bella shrugged, looking ahead, and staying silent like the teacher told them to. "I was thinking the swings." He said and Bella smiled at him and nodded. "Cool, it will be a lot of fun. I…" _

"_Edward, no talking." The teacher warned him. _

"_Sorry!" Edward said loudly and his class mates laughed. _

_The class walked out to the playground, and Edward ran, dragging Bella along with him to the swing set. Edward jumped on one and Bella got on the one beside him. Both started swinging and pumping their legs. "Want to have a contest?" Edward asked her as they were swinging. _

"_Sure!" Bella said. _

"_Let's see who can swing higher."_

"_I am going to beat you!" Bella said and started pumping harder so she could get higher. _

"_I don't think so!" He said and started pumping harder as well. They laughed as they were swinging and continued to try getting higher. _

"_I don't think one of us can win! We are both going the same height!" Bella said while laughing, the wind blowing through her hair. _

"_Okay fine! But we have to jump off!" Edward told her. _

"_We can't! That is one of the rules! No jumping off the swings!" _

"_So what?" Edward said. "She isn't even looking." Edward said and nodded over to where their teacher was across the playground talking to another teacher. "Come on, Bella." _

"_No, Edward."_

"_You are a chicken! Bock, bock, bock!" Edward said, imitating a chicken. _

_Bella scowled. "No I'm not!" _

"_Yesuh!" _

"_No!" _

"_Then do it!" Edward said. _

"_Fine!" Bella said. "On the count of three. One, two, three!" Both Edward and Bella jumped off of the swing they were on. Bella landed on her feet, but Edward fell forward. "Haha! I landed and you didn't!" Bella said. Edward was on the ground laughing and Bella doing a victory dance. _

"_Edward and Bella!" Their teacher said loudly as she was walking towards them. Bella instantly stopped dancing, and her face got red in fear. "Did you two just jump off the swings?" She asked as she approached them. She stood in front of them with her hands on her hips. _

"_Yes." Bella said with her head down. _

"_It was only one time!" Edward said as he got up from the ground. He stood next to Bella and took her hand._

"_That doesn't matter, Mr. Cullen. A rule is a rule, now you two will have to go inside and have a ten minute time out." _

"_Ten minutes?" Edward asked. _

"_Yes. Mrs. Greenwich will take you both inside." Mrs. Greenwich walked over and led both children inside. Edward and Bella were both still holding hands and Edward looked over at Bella. She looked like she was going to cry. Mrs. Greenwich sat them down in separate chairs. Mrs. Greenwich sat down at the desk, making sure they wouldn't talk. Someone opened the door, and asked Mrs. Greenwich out. _

"_No talking you two or I will add another 10 minutes." She warned before stepping outside. _

"_Bella!" Edward whispered. Bella looked over at him. "Don't be mad, it is only a timeout." He said, trying to get her to calm down. _

"_What if they tell my Mom?" Bella asked, sounding so scared. _

"_They won't. My Dad is picking us up today, and I will make sure he won't tell." Bella nodded and gave Edward a little smile. _

* * *

_Ed got in the driver's seat. Edward and Bella were already buckled into the back. Ed shifted in his seat to look at the both of them. "So your teacher tells me you both had to go in a timeout today." _

_Bella tensed, and Edward answered for her. "We did, but we just jumped off the swing!" _

"_Were you not supposed to do that?" Ed asked. _

"_No." _

"_So you shouldn't have done it, Edward. Neither should have you, Bella. A rule is a rule." _

_Bella started crying, and Ed's eyes popped out of his head, surprised that his words made her cry. Edward reached his hand over and took Bella's hand. Ed noticed, and felt his heart warm at how caring his son is. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Cullen! I won't do it again! Don't tell my Mommy! Please don't!" Bella begged. Ed was taken aback. _

"_I made her do it anyway." Edward said defending her. _

"_I wasn't going to tell your Mom, sweetie." Ed said to Bella. "Don't cry, sweetheart." _

"_Yeah, see? I told you he wouldn't tell." Edward told her. _

"_Yeah, I am a hip Dad." Ed said. Ed had a suspicion about Bella's home life. He knew well enough that her mother wasn't the best person in the world. Although they have only known Bella for a couple of months, Ed and Elizabeth both loved little Bella, and they were looking into trying to figure out what goes on at her home, and hopefully one day save her from it. _

_Edward scoffed. "No one says hip, Dad." Edward said rolling his eyes and Bella laughed. _

"_Whatever son, you will see one day just how cool I am." _

_~End Flashback~_

"So Grandpa Ed didn't tell on her?" Liam asked.

"No, it wasn't that bad." I said.

"That's cool."

"Yeah, he was a cool guy." I said, looking out the window in his room. I really missed my Mom and Dad.

"I wish I could have met him." Liam said. I looked down at him and smiled.

"He would have loved you, kid." I said and ruffled his hair.

"You think so?" He asked.

"It is impossible for anyone not to love you, Liam." I kissed his forehead, and got up from the chair. I put my arms over my head and stretched. "Do you want to help me make lunch?" I asked him, praying he would say yes.

"Sure, but Dad? Can we talk now?" I was not expecting to hear that come out of his mouth, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise. I sat back down next to him.

"Of course, buddy." But as soon as the words came out of my mouth, my cell phone started ringing. I internally cursed, and took the phone out. It was Emmett. I hit the ignore button, there was something even more important going on right now. "Okay so…" My phone started ringing again. I groaned. "Can you just hold onto that thought, bud?" He nodded his head. I got up from the chair, and stepped outside the room. I opened the phone. "Hello?" I asked, sounding aggravated.

"Finally you answer." He said.

I rolled my eyes. "You only called me once."

"Oh so you were ignoring me?" He sounded pissed off, and I had no idea why. I don't really want to know why.

"I was about to talk to Liam. What do you want, Emmett?" Emmett has been helping me a lot lately. He watched the kids whenever I was working, and he has been really great, and I appreciated it. But he is also overbearing and it was driving me insane. He was all over my shit. Why did Peyton have a bruise? Why didn't Liam brush his teeth? Did I talk to Bella? I better not call her. Stop being a pushover. Do this. Do that. I was seriously getting sick of it. I knew he was trying to help, but I was a grown man. I have been doing this on my own for so long now, I don't need a babysitter.

"Did you talk to Bella today?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "No." I decided to just keep it simple; I don't need to say something else to set him off.

"Good."

"It's not what I would call good, Emmett." I said through gritted teeth. Sometimes I wondered if Emmett even liked Bella. He could say some hurtful things. I felt like I was alone even more now that my family was actually trying to help me and they were totally against everything I want to do. I want to get Bella better, and they want me to take the kids away from her. That's it. It was wearing me down. It kind of got me thinking of when they actually started to care. I know it was horrible to think, but I have seriously been on my own in dealing with this and they are only making their appearance now.

"It is good. You need to get away from her."

I hated how he said it like Bella was some kind of deadly contagious disease. "Emmett, how many times have we talked about this?"

"Well I am right, Edward! You and the kids don't deserve to have to deal with her."

"Shut up, Emmett." I said in a warning tone. I get that he wanted to help, but he doesn't have to talk down about Bella. She was going to get help. I don't know when, but it is going to happen. She is fucking sick! What doesn't anyone understand about that?

"Whatever, Edward. I am done with trying to help you. Just wait for the day you call me and tell me she is sick or the kids got hurt because they were with her when she was drunk. Don't try to call me then Edward because I will just say I told you so."

"That's real nice, Emmett." I said sarcastically. I could have said so much other bad things, but Liam was right on the other side of the door.

"Well it's true!"

"Goodbye, Emmett." I said.

"Whatever." He said and then hung up. This is what I hate. I can't even have a conversation with my own brother without us getting into some kind of fight. I took a deep breath, and went back into Liam's room. He was back to doing his puzzle. "Hey, bud. You want to talk now?" I asked, hoping he would say yes.

"Not anymore." He said. He sounded upset, and I wondered if he heard me talking outside.

"Well can you help me with lunch still?" I asked.

He put down another piece, and then looked at me. He looked mad, but thankfully he wasn't that mad. "Sure."

* * *

I was once again getting my bills together. Peyton's medical bills were even more expensive now since I didn't have the same insurance I got from the advertising agency. I heard Peyton's bare feet slapping against the floor as she ran to me on the kitchen table. "Hi Daddy!" She said.

"Hey, baby." I said and picked her up into my lap. I kissed her head. "Where is your brother?"

"He's watching a boy show." She said and rolled her eyes.

I laughed. "Girls can watch boy shows, baby." I rested my head on her shoulder and started reading the next paper.

"Girls don't want to watch boy shows, Daddy."

I laughed. "Boy shows are cool!" I said.

She moved her head so she could look at me. She gave me a look like I was crazy. She looked so much like Bella sometimes, I could cry. I really missed Bella.

"You're weird, Daddy." She said and picked up the roll of stamps. "Can I put some on?" She asked.

"Sure." I said, and started getting some together so she could stamp the envelopes. I was about to lick one of them shut when I heard someone opening the front door. I whipped my head to where the sound was coming from. I freaked out for a minute, and put Peyton down on the chair. "Stay here." I said and then walked toward the front door. My nerves settled, but picked up at the same time when I found out just who it was.

"Mommy!" I heard Liam yell.

"My boy!" I heard her say, and her voice just made me feel better. But what was she doing here? She shouldn't be here right now. I was still a little mad at her for what she did yesterday, and she can't just make surprise appearances like this.

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" I heard Peyton yell as she ran past me and straight into Bella's arms. Bella was sitting down on the ground with Liam hugging her so tight around her neck. She had the biggest most beautiful smile on. Peyton ran to her other side, and they held onto each other like their life depended on it. It was a beautiful sight to see, my whole family happy, but there was still the big purple elephant in the room that was dampering my mood. How could Bella drink when she was supposed to be with the kids?

I stood off to the side, and Bella finally got up, and the kids were clinging to her legs. Bella looked at me. She looked terrible, though still beautiful. Her eyes were bloodshot, she looked like she hasn't slept in days, and she looked like she lost some weight. I began to wonder if something happened that she hasn't told me, because I don't remember her looking as bad as she does right now. "What are you doing here, Bella?" I asked.

Her face fell, and I felt bad, but she shouldn't be here right now. "I just wanted to see you guys." She said.

"You had that chance yesterday, Bella." My hands were clenched to my sides.

"I know, I'm so sorry, Edward." She said, and she sounded so sincere, I almost caved. Almost.

"Maybe you should just come back at another time, Bella."

"What?" Liam asked.

How am I supposed to do this? I know I have to though; this isn't fair to Liam and Peyton or me if she just randomly comes into the house whenever she isn't drunk. It doesn't work like that. "Maybe Mommy can come back another time." I said, standing my ground.

I made the mistake of looking at Bella and seeing the tears in her eyes. I hate her fucking tears so much. They affect me to the point where I lose all of my resolve and I just want to take her in my arms and take the pain away. I don't know what kind of twisted love I was in with this woman, but it frustrated me to no end. This love wasn't simple, this love was hard, this love was so imperfect, but this love is one I would die for. It was the best feeling in the world, even though it tore me down at times.

"That is not fair! We haven't seen her in so long!" Liam said. He was glaring at me right now, and I could tell I was not his favorite person. I just kept telling myself that this was the right thing. I was finally taking a stand, this is what I was supposed to be doing…right?

"No, it's okay, baby." Bella said. She wiped under her eyes. "I can come back…"

"NO!" He yelled. Peyton covered her ears, and looked between the three of us, not knowing what to do. All of a sudden my phone started ringing. I took it out of my pocket, and saw it was work. Fuck.

"Hold on." I said to Bella and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Edward, it's Charlie." Charlie has become a really good friend to me. We haven't really gotten very personal, but he was good to hang out with at work. He made the time tolerable, and was a really good man.

"Hey, Charlie, what's up?"

"Look, I know it's only one, but they are looking for someone to work right now, and I know you wanted extra hours so I told them I would call you first."

I sighed. "Umm…okay. I can be there in 20 minutes, will that be okay?"

He chuckled. "That is more than okay, man. I will let them know."

"Thanks." I said. I didn't know who was going to watch the kids, but I am sure my parents will do it. I didn't want to call Emmett after our little argument earlier, and Jasper and Alice were both working right now. "We all need to go anyway." I said.

"Where do we have to go?" Liam asked, he was still so mad at me.

"I have to go to work, so you two are going to Nana's."

"I don't want to go to Nana's! Mommy can watch us!" I should have known this was coming, but I was hoping it wouldn't.

"No, Liam. Mommy has to go." I said. Liam's face got even redder, and he walked closer to me.

"No! Let Mommy stay here!"

"No Liam." I said. His face was so angry and sad, and I felt like such a horrible father. This is what I have to do. I have to do this. I can't let her think what she did was okay. That is what Julia told me. She was a professional, I was doing the right thing, right? Fuck, who knows, whatever I do always blows up in my face anyway, no matter if it is the right or wrong thing to do.

"Yes!" He screamed.

"No!" I yelled back.

He screamed and stomped his feet before glaring in my direction once again. "You are so mean! I wish you were never my father! I hate you!" He screamed at me with so much animosity, I was practically blown away. I really couldn't feel anything really. Just emptiness. My whole being was an empty hole right at that moment. I think the pain was just so great, I lost all feeling. He hates me. My own son hates me.

He started crying and stormed past me up the stairs. "Liam!" Bella said. She had tears falling down her cheeks, and she brought her hands to her mouth. She looked toward me and gasped. She walked up to me and put her hands on my cheeks. "Edward. Edward look at me, baby." She said and wiped the single tear that fell from my eye. I didn't feel it. But she was wiping something. "Edward he didn't mean it. I am so sorry. This is all my fault. He didn't mean it, my love. Please, Edward look at me. You are as pale as a ghost."

"Daddy?" I heard Peyton squeak. I could tell she was crying too. I was pulled out of my trance and I looked down at her. She looked so scared, and she was wringing her hands in front of her. I got an image of a small Bella. She would always wring her hands in front of her when her Mom yelled at her, or she was in trouble. I remember the look in my best friends eyes when she was scared; the same look my daughter was wearing right now.

There was a difference though, and the difference was me. I have to be the one to make sure that look of fear never comes to my angel's face ever again. It is my job. If that means that I will have to leave my wife, then that is what I will do. Do I want to leave Bella? Fuck no. Do I have to? No. Do I have to leave her make sure that my kids aren't exposed to an alcoholic mother? Yes. But it isn't all about that for me. Of course it was the most important part, helping my kids, but I also wanted Bella to get help. If she can get the help she needs, and then prove to me that she has changed, I will take her back with open arms. Is that right? I don't know. Do I care? No. I love her. That is one thing I am certain about. If I didn't love her, I wouldn't be doing all of this. Maybe I may seem stupid to some, but they don't know what it is like. My family doesn't know what it is like. I do. It fucking sucked. I love her so much, but there was only so much I could do for her.

I walked away from Bella and her hands fell from my cheeks. I picked Peyton up, and kissed her face and held her close. "Daddy is going to go to work, beautiful." I whispered to her. She nodded her head against my neck.

"Okay, Daddy." She said. She lifted her head, and I wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I love you, baby." I told her.

"I love you too, Daddy." I kissed her again, and then handed her over to Bella. Peyton rested her head on Bella's shoulder, and put her hand on Bella's cheek. She was patting Bella's cheek comfortingly since Bella had been crying.

"Edward, I can call your Mom…" Bella said.

"No, you just stay with them." I can't believe I am allowing this, but this may be the last time she will get to spend time with them for a while. I have made my decision.

"But Edward…"

Maybe it was wrong of me, but I had to calm her down, and help my aching heart right now. I brought my hand up and placed it on her cheek. The electricity I always felt while touching her was still there. I pushed her hair behind her ear, and then leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "I will be back at eight." I said. Maybe this was wrong too, but it was so true. "I love you." Maybe I was selfish, but I just wanted her to say it. If I am going to be away from her, I need something to hold me over.

She let out a cry, but it was also a laugh. "I love you, too."

It was such a beautiful thing to hear.

If only I would have the chance to hear it more.

* * *

"Charlie, I will be right back, just going to take a break." I told him.

"Wait." He said and took his headset off. "I will go with you." During break, we just went in the break room and there was vending machines, and tables. I nodded, and he followed me into the room. I sat down at one of the tables, and he sat down across from me. I took my phone out and sent a text to Bella asking how it was going. I didn't really feel like talking right now. "Hey, are you alright, Edward?" Charlie asked.

I knew I didn't have to keep stuff from Charlie. We haven't really talked about a lot in our personal lives, but I knew I could trust him. It was just a feeling I had. "Not really."

"What's going on?"

"Liam told me he hated me today." I said while playing around with my phone.

He sighed. "Sorry to hear that."

"It's the worst feeling." I told him.

"I know it seems that way, but before you know it you will have that little boy telling you he loves you again, and you won't even remember this feeling." He said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, Seth told me he hated me a lot, especially in his teen years." Seth was Charlie's only child. He was 21, and going to school to be a lawyer.

"Ugh…I haven't even gotten there." I dropped my head into my hands.

"Leah didn't tell me she hated me though. Girls are just different I guess." My head shot up. He told me he only had a son.

"Leah?"

His eyes got sad, and he nodded slowly. "My little girl." He must have noticed the confusion and indecision in my face. "She died four years ago. Car accident. She was 14 years old."

I felt a pain in my chest for him. As a father, I knew how much a man's daughter means to him. If I ever lost…I can't even think it. The pain would be too much. Charlie gained an enormous amount of respect from me in that moment. He was strong. Stronger than I think I could ever be. Just the fact that he was sitting in front of me right now when he lost something so precious to him said volumes about his character. "I am so sorry to hear that, Charlie."

He nodded his head and wrung his hands in front of him on the table. "Thanks, it is the most horrible thing, losing a child. But I still have Seth. I go on because of him and my wife of course." I was going to say something, but he shook his head faster. "Let's not talk about that right now." He said, and I knew it would be best to drop it. "Do you mind telling why he told you he hated you?"

Charlie didn't know that Bella was an alcoholic. He knew I had a wife I adored, he knew her name was Bella, and that was it. After he just told me something so personal about him, I knew I could also share this with him. "My wife, she…" My phone started ringing. "You mind?"

"Oh of course, of course." He said, waving his hands for me to answer it.

I looked down at the caller ID. Emmett. Great. "Hello?"

"Meet me at the hospital." His blunt words caught me off guard. What the hell was he talking about?

"What? What happened?" I got up from the chair, and ran my hand through my hair. I could see Charlie looking at me worriedly.

"I went by your house to apologize for before. Good fucking thing I did. I walked in and saw Bella having a seizure on the floor with your children standing by her."

"What?" I yelled. My heart was beating so hard against my chest I swear it could have just stopped right there or broke through. This was my worst fear, this was my nightmare. And of course Emmett didn't have any sympathy for me, but I didn't care now. I fucking deserved this.

"I fucking told you so."

* * *

**Now you all know what is coming next! The prologue is next chapter, but I will just have to change little things here and there. Not changing anything that happened, just going to add and change some words and stuff so it makes more sense. **

**I hope you all liked this one! The big one will be out Monday! Or maybe Sunday with good encouragement…**

**Review please! **


	28. Chapter 27: Tears

_Now hush little baby, don't you cry  
__Everything's gonna be alright  
__Stiffen that upper lip up little lady, I told ya  
__Daddy's here to hold ya through the night  
__I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why  
__We feel how we feel inside  
__It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby  
__But I promise momma's gon' be alright_

_**Mockingbird, by Eminem**_

**Chapter 27: Tears  
****March 15, 2010**

I ran.

I ran faster than I think I ever had in my entire life. I would have taken my car if the fucking thing wasn't parked 10 minutes from the front of this stupid office. I truly regretting taking this job now just for that reason. I felt bad I just ran out on Charlie like that, but I knew he would understand, that was just the way he was.

I ran hard, and I could hear each labored breath that came out through my dried up lips. It was cold today. I remember hearing about a rain storm coming in these next few days. I couldn't really feel the cold though. I just need to get there. I knew this was a possibility, but I always thought that it could never happen to her. To me. To us. To my family.

I finally arrive to the place where my whole family currently is. A hospital. I really fucking hate hospitals. I never ever wanted to come in one of these places ever since that day so many years ago. That is why Bella had a home birth for me. Two times.

I hesitate at the front door of the hospital, and feel like I could throw up. Thousands of images flash through my mind, and they are all from that night. I feel like I shouldn't remember that anymore. It is in the past. This is the present. This is the present, and my wife needs me. My children need me. I've already failed them enough.

I take a deep breath and push every bad thought from my mind. Just think about Bella's face, Edward. Just think about your beautiful children's face. Think about how scared they must be right now. That is your fault. Go fix it.

I walk into the hospital and walk straight to the front desk. My mind is focused on my family and nothing else…for now.

I approach the desk and the woman behind it looks like she would rather be anywhere but here right now. Don't we all.

"I need to know the room number for Isabella Cullen." I tell the woman, and she has the nerve to roll her eyes at me. What the fuck?

"And are you related?" She asks and pops her gum.

"I am her husband." I tried to stay as calm as I could. There is no need to just flip out on this woman.

"Room 315." She says and I run to the elevators and make my way to the third floor. I keep my eyes closed and my mind focused the whole time. I need to hold it together.

The doors open and I make my way to Bella's room. I stopped dead in my tracks, however, when I heard two of the most beautiful voices calling my name as I was passing the waiting room.

"Daddy!" I heard my little boy and little girl yell after me. I look behind me, and see Liam and Peyton staring at me with raw fear in their eyes. I feel my heart explode with pain, and I walk back over to my children.

I squat down in front of them, and they both latch onto my neck and start crying. I feel my head clear up, and my mind ease as I hold my children in my arms. Things aren't perfect though, when I know my love is just down the hall, probably in pain. I turn my head and kiss each of theirs.

It feels good to have them both in my arms, but it felt especially good to have Liam there. Even though he declared that he hated me and wished I wasn't his father, it was still good to know that deep down, he didn't really mean it, and he still will come to me when he is feeling scared.

"Shh, you guys, please stop crying." I plead with them. My heart couldn't take their tears. It reminded me of their pain, and what they just witnessed.

"Daddy, Mommy was shaking. She was shaking a lot." I heard my little girl tell me and I held onto her tighter. I didn't have a chance to respond, because a commotion came from down the hall and caused me to look up. I saw Emmett make his way toward me with murder in his eyes.

"You filthy son of a bitch." He said as he approached me with his hands clenched at his sides. I saw my Dad walk out in between the both of us, and hold Emmett back, but Emmett fought against him.

I held on tighter to my children. "Not in front of them, Emmett. Please." I said as I looked him dead in the eye. I knew he hated me right now, and I deserved anything he wanted to do to me. But I also knew he loved my children and wouldn't want to hurt them. I saw him look at both of them and then calm down a little.

I looked off to my right and saw my Mom was looking on at the scene with her hand over her mouth, and tears running down her face. "Mom." I said and my voice cracked. "Can you take them down to get a snack at the vending machine, or something?" I asked.

"No, Dad. Please stay with us." I heard Liam ask and my throat began to burn as I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat. I wanted so bad to have them stay with me, but I also didn't want them to see their Uncle yell at their father.

"I need to talk to Uncle Emmett, and go see your Mom and then I will be right back, alright buddy?" I asked and pushed his hair out of his face. "I love you, Liam. I need you to know that okay? I know that I have made a lot of mistakes, but I love you and your sister more than anything."

Peyton lifted her head from my shoulder and kissed my cheek. "We love you too, Daddy." My little girl told me. "Right, Liam?" She said and looked over at my son.

He stared at me, contemplating. "Yeah. I love you, Dad." He said and I felt a wave of warmth pass through my heart. It has been too long since I have heard those words from my son.

"Okay, so I will see you both later, okay? Just go with Nana." I said and they both nodded before walking out with my Mom. I looked after them, and when they were out of site, I felt large hands grab my collar and slam me against the wall.

"How many times did I tell you this was going to happen?" He asked rhetorically, and I tried to look anywhere but in his eyes. He slammed me back on the wall, and a sharp pain went to my head. "How many times!" He screamed in my face.

"Emmett, you really shouldn't be doing this." Carlisle said from my side. I wanted to tell him to not worry about it. I wanted to tell him I deserve this. I deserve to be yelled at. I deserve to be put down. I deserve for him to hit me. I deserve so much worse than any of that. I did this to them. I allowed this to happen.

Emmett looked at me fiercely, and then finally let go of me. "You are right; he is not worth my voice or my strength. But I am going to tell you something right fucking now, Edward. You better do something about this. Grow a fucking pair and do something!" He screamed and his face got redder. "Or I swear to God, Edward. I will find a way to make sure those kids are away from the both of you." He said and then turned around and left.

I knew he was right. I needed to do something this time. Not little things. I need to do something big. I need to change my methods. All of the other ways I have tried have been wrong. Now I need to leave Bella. The thought alone made me uneasy, but I really had no other choice now.

My Dad tried to say something to me, but I stopped him. "Can I just go see her, Dad? Please just let me see her." I plead with him. He must have noticed the desperation in my eyes and then led me to her room.

He patted me on the back at the door, and then I opened it. I looked over at my beautiful wife. I walked closer to her and grabbed her small hand in mine. She looked pale and as sick as ever. It killed me to see her like this. She has always been so strong. My savior. My love.

"Why did you have to do this to us, my love?" I asked and the tears finally started falling down my cheeks. "I have tried so damn hard for us, baby. Why couldn't you just help me?" I held her hand close to my heart that was breaking below her palm. "I love you so much, Bella. I just wish it was enough. I wish it was enough to fix you. There is nothing in this world that I want more." I got no reaction from her as she was still out. I didn't even know what exactly happened. Emmett said she had a seizure? I got up from the chair and kissed her forehead. I walked over to the door and stuck my head out, looking for my Dad so he could fill me in.

He was right outside the door. "Everything okay, son?" He asked.

"Can you come in here?" I asked and he nodded his head. He walked into the room, and I closed the door gently. "What the hell happened, Dad? Was she drunk?"

He shook his head. "No, she wasn't. She had a seizure; that is all we know at this point. Alcohol is horrible and it affects the brain in destroying ways. We won't know until there are more tests, but I would say Bella had an alcohol withdrawal seizure." I walked past him because I just needed to be able to touch her, feel that she was really here. I want to feel her pulse, she could have died. My love could have died. I sat down on the chair beside her and held her hand in mine. He finished talking, and I had my eyes on her the whole time. "Again, we will know more when the tests come back, and she wakes up, but I would guess she did some serious binge drinking this weekend, and when she stopped her brain couldn't handle it."

"But she is going to be okay right?" I asked and kissed her knuckles. My mouth grazed over her wedding ring. I looked down at my own silver band. I don't think I could ever take it off, no matter what happens. Bella was it for me. I may be leaving her, but there will never be anyone else. It isn't a possibility.

"This time, she is fine. We gave her a sedative so she will be out for at least three more hours; it will give her body time to recover. But if there is a next time, Edward, I don't know if she will be so lucky. You need to get her to stop drinking."

"Don't you think I know that?" I snapped at him.

He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. I know." He started to walk out of the room, and I felt bad for snapping at him.

"Dad." I said, and he turned toward me. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Edward. I know this is hard for you." He gave me a smile, and then walked out of the room. I turned my attention back to Bella, and she was still sleeping peacefully. Sitting here looking at her like this only made me feel worse. I was going to leave her. It didn't feel like that to me though. Leaving her would mean that I never wanted to see her again and that I didn't love her, but that was not true. I love her so much, and I always wanted to see her. But this was something I had to do to make sure that she will be alive and there for all of us the best way she can. Of course there was always the chance that she will not get help, and I never see her again, and my kids grow up without their mother, but that was just a risk I would have to take. This is a completely unselfish move on my part, because if it was just me, I wouldn't leave her side.

I am doing this for the well being of my children. I know that if Bella was sober, she would want me to do this too. I hope this is what I will need to do to get her help. But I will have to do that later. I will not do it while she was still in the hospital. I already hate them, so if I do this here, I will only hate the hospital even more. So for now, I am going to be completely selfish. Everyone can be selfish every once in a while right?

I let go of her hand and lifted the stiff blanket that was over her. There was enough room for me, so I sat down in the space beside her. I lifted the blanket over me, and swung my legs onto the bed. I shifted to my side and pulled her into my arms. She hummed in her induced slumber, and I held her close to my chest. I dropped my head and took in the scent of her hair. Her body was molded against mine and she wasn't even holding onto me, but I never felt so relieved. I haven't been able to hold her like this in months. Sure we hugged when we saw each other, but I never just got the chance to lie down with my love and just hold her. The only bad thing was that she wasn't holding me back, but I could live with that. I will take what I can get.

It was silent in the room; the only noise came from our slow breaths. I eased my grip on her so I could see her face. Her head was in the crook of my arm and I brought my other hand to her cheek. I kissed her head and trailed my hand from her cheek, over her shoulder, down her arm, and gripped her hand. I just wanted to memorize everything about her since we are going to be apart for so long. It's not like I would actually forget because we were practically the same being, but again, I took this moment to be selfish.

"I know you can't really hear me love, but I just have to say these things to you." I whispered. "It really is ridiculous, I want to tell you this while you can hear me, but I can't baby. That is what everyone else says. They are all telling me to not give in to you, but how can I not? I am going to have to, but I don't want to hurt you more than I already am, so I will just say these things now."

I kissed her closed eye, and ran my hand up and down her back. "I don't regret anything, Bella. Things have been hard, I am not going to try and pretend it was all cookies and sunshine, because it wasn't, but I don't really care about that kind of stuff." I swallowed hard, forcing that painful lump down. "I do love you, Bella. I hope you never had to doubt that, and I hope you never will. It is the most natural thing to me, love. Loving you it's…I don't really know how to say it. I would say it is like breathing, but that is a bit to cliché isn't it?" If Bella were awake right now, she would have probably made fun of me for using such a cheesy line, but it was so true. "When I look at you, love, I still see the beautiful face of the little girl I fell in love with all those years ago. I don't see the alcoholic, I don't see a broken soul, I don't see all the bad that everyone else does; I only see the good."

My voice cracked and a tear spilled out of my eye. I pulled her closer and buried my face in her neck. I kissed her neck. "Maybe that is why I have failed so much at trying to deal with this…I don't know. But again, I wouldn't change anything Bella. I do love you, why would I just stop because you are having troubles? I couldn't. So I hope you will understand that what I am going to be doing is solely for the well being of our children, and you, Bella. I just want you to be happy, love. That's all I want. Is that so much to ask?" More tears started falling and my lips were quivering.

I was sick of crying.

So I stopped. I stopped talking to her and I stopped dwelling on the bad. So I though back to better times. Times where we were just Edward and Bella. Not Bella the alcoholic and Edward the naïve pushover husband…

_~Flashback~_

_**6 Years Old**_

_Edward was lying in his bed on his side. It was about three in the afternoon, and he was feeling a little down. He was looking at the picture of him and his parents on his sixth birthday party. Each moment that Edward looked at the picture brought him closer to tears, but he tried to hold them back. He knew if he cried, Carlisle and Esme would only be worried. He learned quickly that crying wouldn't change anything, and it only made his family worry, so he tried his best to keep it all inside. It was Saturday, and Alice and Emmett were both out with their grandparent's on Carlisle's side for a sleepover, leaving Edward by himself. _

_There was a knock on the door. "Come in." Edward called and sat up in the bed. The door opened and Carlisle was standing in the doorway with a smile on his face. _

"_Edward, come downstairs, we have a surprise for you."Edward's mood picked up at the excitement of a surprise, but he barely showed it. He got up off the bed and followed Carlisle out the door. Carlisle walked down the stairs and stopped at the bottom. "Want a piggy back ride?" He asked and looked behind him. Edward smiled and nodded. Carlisle squatted down a little to allow for Edward to reach. Edward wrapped his arms around Carlisle's neck, and wrapped his legs around his waist. Carlisle hooked his hands under Edward's legs. "Better hold on tight, buddy." _

_Edward laughed as Carlisle sprinted in a circle just to hear the little boy's laugh, and then sprinted to the back door where he intended to go at first. He opened the deck door, and jogged down the steps until they were on the grass of the back yard. Edward gasped when he saw Bella helping Esme set up a blue tent in the backyard. "Whoa!" Edward said. _

_Bella's head whipped to Edward when she heard his voice and she smiled widely. "Hi, Edward!" She said joyfully._

_Edward wiggled to get out of Carlisle's arms and Carlisle squatted down to let Edward get off. Edward ran at Bella and hugged her tightly. Bella hasn't been at Edward's house for a week because her Mom was sick and wouldn't let Bella leave the house. Edward has been leaning on Bella the most since his parents died and he was so happy to see her. Edward ran at her so fast that Bella fell back and Edward on top of her. Edward caught himself so he wouldn't squish her. "I'm so sorry!" He said frantically, hoping he didn't hurt her. _

_Bella, however, was laughing hysterically. "It's okay, Edward!"_

_Edward got off of her and reached his hand down to her to help her up. He squeezed her hand. "I missed you." He whispered. _

_Bella kissed his cheek. "I missed you too! Now we can have a campout!" She said excitedly. _

"_Your Mom isn't sick anymore?" Edward asked._

_Bella's smile went away. "No, she is mad at me though. But Carlisle came over and asked her if I could sleep over!" _

"_She said yes?" _

"_Yeah, but she was mad. But it's okay!" _

_Edward nodded his head. He felt bad that Bella's mother was mad at her, but he was too happy that she was there to dwell on it. "Cool!" He said and they turned back to Carlisle and Esme who were just finishing up setting up the tent. _

"_So what do you think, honey?" Esme asked Edward. _

"_I think this sounds like fun!" He said. _

"_It is going to be a lot of fun! We can start a fire and make hot dogs over the fire, and s'mores later on." _

"_Okay, can me and Bella just play right now though?" Edward asked. _

_Esme laughed. "Of course, honey, you two have fun, but stay in the yard." _

"_Okay! Come on, Bella!" _

* * *

"_This is horrible!" Edward said as he was standing in front of the window looking out at the rain coming down hard outside. It was seven in the evening now and they were just about to make their s'mores when it started to pour outside. Bella was standing next to Edward on her tippy toes looking out at the rain as well. _

"_It's okay, Edward. We can still have fun." Bella said. _

"_How?" Edward said. "We can't even have a campout like we planned on. Everything always gets ruined." Edward said and then sat down on the couch crossing his arms. _

_Bella sighed and sat down next to him. "No, we can make a fort in the living room like Carlisle said. It will be fun!" Edward didn't say anything and kept the pout on his face. Bella leaned towards Edward and poked his cheek. "Come on Edward. Stop being a grump." She kept poking his face, and poking the small dimple in his cheek. "Are you going to stop being a grumpy head?" She asked him. _

"_Nope." He said. _

"_I bet you I could make you laugh." Bella said. _

_Edward tried to keep his smile contained. "Nope." _

"_Yup." Bella replied. _

"_How?" Edward asked looking at her. Bella didn't answer, but she brought her hands up to her ears and pulled them out. Then she blew her cheeks out and stuck her tongue out. To top it all off she went cross eyed, and Edward lost it. He started laughing hysterically at her, and she joined in after him. "You are such a weirdo!" _

_Bella laughed. "It got you to laugh didn't it?" _

_Edward lightly punched her shoulder. "Yes it did." _

"_So promise not to be a grump anymore?" Bella asked. _

"_I promise." _

* * *

_Bella was sleeping soundly in her sleeping bag, but she began to wake up when she heard someone whimpering. She noticed right away that it was Edward and she turned over in her sleeping bag to see Edward crying and sweating in his sleep. Bella woke up instantly and crawled out of her sleeping back. They created a fort out of blankets in the living room and it was dark under the blankets. Bella swatted around the floor for the flashlight that Esme gave them. She found it and turned it on before crawling over to Edward. _

_She placed her hands on his chest and gently shook him. "Edward! Edward! Wake up." She whispered so she wouldn't wake anyone else. It took Edward a minute, but he finally awoke panting. "Are you okay?" Bella asked him while trying to hold in her tears. _

"_Bella." He whimpered and then started crying. Bella lied down beside him and took him in her arms. He curled up against her chest and was crying silently. He held onto his best friend for dear life, and Bella held him tightly as well. _

"_What's wrong, Edward?" Bella asked as she was rubbing his back. Both children were six years old, but they already took on so much. They knew each other more than anyone and knew how to comfort each other. Their bond was stronger than some adults. _

"_I want my Mom and Dad back, Bella." He cried._

"_You can't, Edward. I'm sorry." _

"_But why did they have to die!" He took his head off of her chest to look at her face. _

"_I don't know, Edward." _

"_I miss them though, Bella. My heart hurts all the time." He said weakly. _

_Bella held back her tears because she knew that her crying would also hurt Edward's heart and she didn't want that. "There is nothing we can do, Edward. But don't worry, you will get better. You have your aunt, uncle, and cousins. They all love you." _

"_You too, Bella?" He asked. _

"_Yeah, me too. I'm not going anywhere." _

"_But what if you die, Bella? Then what will I do?" _

"_I'm not going to die, Edward." Bella said. _

"_Everyone dies, Bella."_

"_Yeah, but I won't die until you do, I promise." _

_Edward got up in the sitting position, and so did Bella. Edward grabbed Bella's hand. "But then you will be alone." Edward said sadly. _

_Bella shrugged. "I will be okay." Edward lowered his head. "I don't want to talk about dying, Edward. It is too scary." _

"_My Mom used to tell me we shouldn't be afraid of dying." _

_Bella shrugged. "I'm just afraid of not being your best friend anymore. That's why I don't want to die." _

"_Me too." Edward said after he thought about it. Bella has always been the best friend to him and he would be sad if they were somehow taken apart. "We will be best friends forever." _

_Bella looked away. "I don't know." She said. _

_Edward gasped. "You don't want to be friends with me?" He asked._

_Bella looked at him and shook her head. "No, of course I want too! But I don't know if we can forever." _

"_Why not?" _

"_My Mom said that no one can love someone forever." _

"_That's not true!" Edward said._

"_I think it is. She said she used to love me a lot, but not so much anymore. I asked her why, and she said because love is never forever." Bella wiped her eyes with her fists to make sure her tears wouldn't fall. _

"_Your Mom doesn't love you?" Edward asked. _

_Bella nodded. "She does, but not that much. She said eventually it will run out like all other things." _

_Edward shook his head. "Your Mom is wrong. I won't stop loving you, Bella." Edward said with conviction._

"_But…" _

"_No! Your Mom was lying! I promise you, Bella. Okay?" Bella was still doubtful. Edward groaned. "I promise, Bella! Listen to me!" _

_A tear finally fell from Bella's left eye, and she wiped it away. "Okay. I believe you." _

_Edward let out a sigh of relief. "Good." _

"_I promise too, Edward." Bella said and got on her knees and hugged Edward. "I promise."_

_~End Flashback~_

We kept that promise and then some. Renee was a stupid individual to think that love doesn't last forever, because it sure as hell does. Bella started stirring in my arms, and I thought she was going to wake up, but it has only been a half an hour. I felt wetness on my shirt, and I looked down seeing she was crying, and my green tie had a wet spot from her tears. She wasn't awake though, she was having some kind of nightmare. I wiped her tears away because it will be the last time I get to in a long time.

"Edward." She cried out to me in her sleep. I pulled her closer, and she held onto me as well. Even asleep and out of it, she held onto me for support. I was going to be taking that away from her and I hated it. But I had to. I need to be able to get up from this bed, and hide all of my true feelings and make this happen. I can't break and I can't back down. So I will comfort her this one last time. "Edwaaarrdd.." She cried again.

"Shh, love." I said as the tears fell out of my eyes and I could taste the salty tears fall over my lips. "I'm here." She stopped moving around at the sound of my voice. "That's it, love. Just breathe, you will be okay. I will make sure of it, even though it means I will be leaving you." A sob broke out of my mouth and I held her close. "I will always be here though, Bella. I can't tell you that when I leave, but I hope you will know that. I am always here for you, love. I am there for you even when I'm not there physically." I kissed the top of her head. "I hope you remember that, Bella. I hope that is enough to make you get the help you need. For me, please just get some help, my love. Please."

* * *

We went home that night at around 8:30. Bella was still sleeping when we left. I brought the kids in to see her for about 10 minutes after they both met with Julia. Julia came by and evaluated them to make sure they were okay after witnessing their mother having a seizure. She said they were both a little shook up, but they would be fine. Thankfully Emmett got there fast enough so they didn't have to see the whole thing.

I was sitting in the back seat in the middle. Peyton was holding my hand from her car seat, she was fast asleep now. She fell asleep as soon as we made it out of the parking lot of the hospital. My parents were bringing us home since my car was still at work. Liam was leaning into my side, and he had his arms wrapped around my middle. He wasn't asleep yet, but I knew he was tired. So was I.

Once we pulled up to the house, Liam got out of the car, and waited for me to get out as well before taking my hand. My Dad said he would take Peyton out, so I started walking with Liam to the front door. My Mom was behind me, and my father and Peyton after her. I unlocked the door and walked in. Liam made no move to let go of my hand and run up the stairs like he usually does. He needs me right now, and I have no problem being there for him.

I turned around, and my mother was looking at me with sad eyes. My Dad walked past me with a sleeping Peyton on his shoulder to put her to bed. "Can your father and I talk to you, Edward?" My Mom asked.

"Sure." I looked down at Liam. "Can you just go upstairs, bud? I will be right up there."

He nodded his head, and hugged me tight around my waist before walking up the stairs. My Dad was coming down as he was going up. "She is fast asleep." He said.

"Thanks. So what do you want to talk about?"

"Emmett tells me that you won't leave, Bella…" My Mom said.

I had to restrain myself from completely blowing up on my mother. "Emmett has no idea what he is talking about." I said through gritted teeth. I know she didn't deserve my anger, but I couldn't help it.

"So you are?" My Dad asked.

"Are you really going to make me say it?" I asked and pinched the bridge of my nose. Just thinking about it made me nauseous.

"Well I just thought that you would have…you know…already done it." My Mom said.

"You think I would really tell her that she will not see me or the kids ever again unless she gets help while she was in the hospital?" I asked, and they both wouldn't meet my eyes, because that is exactly what they thought. "I'm sorry, but I think that she deserves better than for me to practically dump her while she is in the hospital. That would be cruel."

"We are only looking for you best interest, Edward. We didn't think it would be this hard for you." My Dad said.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked them. At this point I didn't care that I just swore at my parents, what the hell were they thinking. What the hell was my Dad thinking saying that he thought this wouldn't be that hard.

"Well you have barely been seeing her past couple of months anyway. Leaving her completely won't really change too much." I don't even know who he is anymore. I stared at him, and he didn't look like he was trying to be an ass, I think that he genuinely thought that he was being sympathetic with me.

"Do you guys realize how much I love her? Do you really think I would put up with her while she was drunk, and suffering if I didn't love her?"

"We know you love her honey, but…"

"Mom, please just stop. Let me deal with this by myself. Thanks for the ride home." I decided to just stop it right there. I couldn't deal with anymore pestering from everyone. I have to keep telling myself that they just don't understand, because no one can fully understand unless they were right in the middle of it. No one can understand the confusion, the pain, the suffering, and all the let downs that come with having a person you love being an addict.

"Okay, we will go. Call us if you need anything." My Mom said. My Dad grabbed her hand, and the both gave me a small smile before leaving. I took a deep breath and ran both my hands through my hair. My phone started buzzing in my pocket, and I opened it and answered it.

"Hello?" I could hear Bella crying in the background and I instantly tensed.

"Mr. Cullen?" I heard a woman ask.

"Yes, what is going on is Bella alright?" I asked. My heart was beating uncontrollably, and I feared something else happened to Bella.

"Yes, your wife has just had a minor panic attack, she has been asking for you."

"I can't go there right now. Just put her on the phone."

"Okay." I could hear Bella's cries get louder as the woman got closer to Bella. "Mrs. Cullen, your husband is on the phone." I heard her tell her. I could hear rustling, and then her beautiful voice rang through my ears.

"Edward?" She asked frantically.

"It's me, Bella."

She started crying harder, and I wanted her in my arms, but I knew that couldn't happen. My mask was on now. I had to be strong and do this because it was what was best for Liam and Peyton. "Oh, Edward. Are the kids okay? What happened, baby? I'm so scared…oh my God." I could hear her trying to catch her breath. Maybe it was wrong, but that mask had to come off for just a moment, I couldn't have her feeling like this.

"Bella." I said, she didn't answer me, and I could hear her still in the middle of her panic attack. "Bella!" I said louder, but she still didn't answer. "Love, listen to me."

"Edwaard." She moaned in pain.

"Bella I need you to calm down, love. Come on, pay attention to my voice and breathe for me honey."

"Okay, okay." She said, and I could hear her start to get her breathing under control. I wish I could go there and try to make it better for her, but there was no way I was leaving Liam and Peyton, they both needed me.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, better. What happened, Edward?"

"You had a seizure, Bella."

I could hear her start to cry again, and I could just imagine those tears I hate so much falling down her cheeks. "Please don't tell me they saw it, Edward. Please." She pleaded with me. I couldn't answer her, and I guess I didn't have to. "No, no, no, no, no…" She started sobbing, and I couldn't take it. It hurt.

"Bella, please stop crying. Just please stop." I was pleading with her now. "Yes they saw you, Bella, but they are both fine. What's done is done, and there is no need dwelling on it negatively. I think you should think about this long and hard though, Bella, because this should be your wake up call. Your drinking is making you even sicker, Bella."

"Edward, you don't understand, something hap…"

"Bella, there is no excuse."

"Edwar…"

"Bella, please." She finally stopped. "You need to rest, love. Has the doctor said when you are going to be released?" I asked.

"No, I haven't talked to him." She said.

In a twisted way, I hoped it would at least be a couple days, but that was just me putting off what I know would hurt her so deeply. "Okay, well the kids are fine, Peyton is sleeping, and Liam will be soon."

"Can I talk to him?" She asked.

"I will bring them by tomorrow, Bella. I am going to talk with him, and make sure he is alright. He will probably start crying if he talks to you, because he worries for you, and I really can't stand to see them cry anymore today, Bella. You understand that right?"

She took a deep breath. "Of course I do. I am so sorry, Edward."

"I have to go, Bella. Please promise me that you will get some rest."

"I will, you will be here tomorrow though right?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, thank you, Edward. I love you, baby."

And yes, I am weak, but I couldn't help it. But I wasn't going to lie to her, or cause her anymore pain by not saying it. "I love you too, Bella."

"Bye, Edward."

"Bye, Bella." I hung up the phone, and put it back in my pocket. I turned to the stairs, so ready to go to bed and let this awful day end. I went into Liam's room first though to see if he was still awake, because I wanted to have that conversation with him. I think he deserves to know the full truth so he wasn't confused. I walked into his room, but he wasn't there. I panicked slightly, and then checked in my room. He wasn't there. I practically ran to Peyton's room hoping and praying he was for some reason in there. Thankfully he was, although seeing him there broke my heart. He was curled up on the floor in front of Peyton's crib. He turned around when the light from the hallway lit up the room, and I saw he had a picture clutched to his chest. I know which picture it was by the pink frame. It was a picture of all four of us on Liam's eighth birthday just a couple months ago.

"Dad?"

"Hey, bud, you want to come out here so we can talk?" I whispered so we wouldn't wake Peyton. He nodded his head, and got up from the ground. He put the picture back on Peyton's bureau and walked over to me. I wanted to cry tears of joy for the first time in a long time when he lifted his arms for me to pick him up. I lifted him in my arms, I don't care if he was eight years old, and he was tall, this was my little boy. I carried him into my room, and sat down with him on the bed. I went to move him so he was sitting on the bed, but he kept his hold around my neck. That was fine with me. I held him close and kissed the top of his head. "You okay, son?"

He sighed. "I don't know."

"I need to talk to you, Liam." He nodded his head and pulled his head away and off my shoulder and looked at me. Fuck, how do I even start this? "What do you know about what is wrong with your Mom?"

He looked like he was thinking. "I know you said she is sick, but I don't know what she is sick of. She doesn't sneeze and cough when I see her…"

"I know, because it isn't that kind of sickness, Liam." Okay, so I guess I should just say it. "Your Mom has something called alcoholism."

"I heard about that, I heard Uncle Emmett talking about it."

Of course he did. "Yes, you know how Mommy always drinks those drinks in the bottles?" He nodded his head. "That is the alcohol that makes her sick."

"Then why doesn't she just stop drinking it?" He asked.

"It's not that easy, bud. Your Mom doesn't really have much control over it, it is very complicated."

"So that is why you made her leave? So me and Peyton didn't get sick too?"

"Kind of, and I didn't make your mother leave, Liam. We both decided it would be best if you two weren't around her all the time when she was sick like that. It isn't healthy for you two."

"But I miss her a lot." He said, and I could see the tears in his eyes, I pulled him back to my chest.

"I know, bud, and so do I." I rubbed his back, and I was able to calm him down. "But there is something else."

"Okay."

"I am sorry, bud, but I am afraid you won't be able to see her for a long time soon."

He took his head off of my chest. "What?"

"This is where I am going to need you to be strong for me, bud. Your Mom is really sick, and we need to help her, and we are going to do that by letting her go."

"But why? We won't be able to see her?"

I shook my head sadly. "No, but this is the only way we can get to help her."

"That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair, Liam. I am sorry you have to learn that at such a young age, but it is the truth. I know it may not make sense, but I need you to trust me on this, buddy."

"I do trust you, Dad." He said.

I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Thank you."

"Will this really help, Mommy?"

"I hope so."

"I don't like when she isn't here though, Dad. It hurts my heart."

I know the feeling. "I know, buddy. You know that my biological parents died right?" He nodded his head. "I know what it feels like to miss your parents a lot, and I am sorry you are feeling that, but this is the only way we can help your Mom right now. I know it might not make any sense to you, but I need you to know that I am only doing this for you and your sister and even your Mom. I have never done anything with the intention of hurting you, Liam, and I never will." I could see more tears building in his eyes. I wiped them away with the sleeve of my button up. "No more tears tonight, alright?"

"Okay."

"Things are going to be hard since you won't be seeing your Mom, I know this, but I need you to be strong for me, bud. You can help your sister as well."

"Okay."

I pulled him back towards me. "That's my boy." I rubbed his back and he held onto me tight.

"I love you, Dad." He mumbled into my shirt, and I held onto him tighter and kissed the top of his head.

"I love you too, Liam."

"Can I sleep in here with you tonight?" He asked.

"Of course, why don't you go get your pajamas on, and I will put mine on." He nodded his head and got up from my lap. I got up from the bed feeling lighter. It seemed my relationship with Liam has been mended, and I hope it stays like that for a really long time. Charlie was right; I don't even remember the feeling after he told me he hated me, now all I could think about was his love. I got changed out of my tie, button up, dress pants, and dress shoes and got into my flannel pajama pants and t-shirt. I was so much more comfortable, and with the feeling of knowing that my son wasn't mad at me anymore felt oh so good. I wanted to bask in this moment of happiness as much as I can.

"Daddy? Daddddyyy?" I heard Peyton crying for me. I walked out of my room and went to her room. She was standing in her crib and rubbing her wet eyes. When she saw me she reached her arms out for me, and I could see her tears smudged on her face.

I really hated seeing tears fall from the eyes of the ones I love. "What's the matter, baby girl?" I asked as I picked her up. She instantly wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I don't want to sweep awone, Daddy." She sniffled.

"Shh, stop crying, beautiful. You can sleep in my bed with me and Liam."

"Thank you." She said and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"No need to thank me, baby." I changed her into her pink night gown before bringing her with me into my room. Liam was already lying down on the bed. I lifted the blankets up, and got into the bed. I was lying on my back, and Liam instantly scooted closer to me. I wrapped my arm around him, and put Peyton on my other side, but she wasn't having any of that. She silently climbed onto my chest on her stomach. I brought my hand to her back, and rubbed up and down.

Peyton reached over for Liam's hand, and he took hers. "Night, night, Liam." She said.

"Goodnight." He said and then looked up at me. "Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight both of you. I love you." I said.

"Love you, too." They both said at the same time. I couldn't help but think of what a perfect ending to such a horrible day it was. I had my kids with me, so I could get through anything. These next couple of days, hell these next couple of months are going to be hard. There will be a lot of pain, and hardships, and tears. There are so many bad things that have been happening to us as a family, but we still have so much love, that it makes it worth it. I guess we are going to need to fight for this pure happiness that we want, but it was worth it. All three of them were worth it to me.

* * *

**So we finally hit the prologue! I hope you all liked it! These past couple of days ****have been tough for me because of real life situations, and writing has truly been my escape, and the response I got from last chapter blew me away. So thank you times a million, every single review put a smile on my face and made these past couple of days a little better. With that being said though, I don't really know how my updating schedule will go this week, but there will be a chapter out this week at some point. I updated a day early for this chapter though :]**

**Big humungous thank you to my FFBFF for all her support, and for pre-reading this chapter for me. If you haven't read her story "The Beauty of His Eyes" you don't know what you are missing! Go give it a shot! **

**Review please :]**


	29. Chapter 28: The Bottom

**Chapter 28: The Bottom  
****March 20, 2010**

**EPOV **

"So are you looking for sole custody?" Seth asked.

"Only if necessary." I said.

"Edward, I understand that this is all hypothetical, there is no need to keep saying it." He told me, but I couldn't help myself, I was just so nervous. Bella has been out of the hospital for two days now, and today was the day.

I woke up this morning knowing what was going to happen and it was messing with me physically and mentally.

Charlie has been the only one who has been supportive of me. He came by the day after Bella got admitted in the hospital and asked me if there was anything I needed. I told him no at first, and then he just stayed with me for a couple of hours. I introduced the kids to him, and they loved him; especially Peyton. They seemed to have their own little bond forming and it was great. The whole time he was there he was making conversation to distract me and he never asked about Bella, and I appreciated that more than I think he will know.

Today he came by with his son Seth and his wife Sue. Sue was a really nice woman, and Seth was cool too. He was being very professional right now though as we were discussing my rights as a father, and what I can do if Bella does something irrational. Me taking sole custody of the kids is only going to be used if Bella refuses to stay away from us. This may seem cruel, but it is just something I need to do to make sure she will get the help she needs.

"The best way is to make this the court's decision. There is no way they will give Bella any rights as a parent because she is seen as an unfit mother to the courts." He looked over a paper that he had in front of him, and then looked back up at me. "I have no doubt in my mind that they will grant you with sole physical and legal custody."

"What exactly does that mean?" I asked.

"You will have full control basically. Your kids will live with you, you will make all decisions for them, and you get to choose when, or if Bella can see them."

I nodded my head. I really hope it won't come to this, but I needed to make sure I had some backup because I knew today was going to be hard enough. "Okay, and you will be able to set all that up for me if I need it?" I asked.

"It's practically already set, so all you will need to do is sign a paper, and it will be done."

I nodded my head. "Okay."

He started gathering his papers back together. "Great. Well I really should be going."

"Oh, of course." I got up and put my hand out to him. "Thank you."

He smiled and he looked so much like Charlie when he did. It was a familiar smile. He shook my hand. "A friend of my father is always a friend of mine." He said.

"Well maybe we could meet in a non-professional setting at some point."

He smiled. "I would like that." He turned around, and went into the kitchen where Sue was. She was making us all lunch. I really need to start getting my cooking skills in order because my kids can't live off of mac and cheese the rest of their lives. But thankfully she was making something, I wasn't sure sure what it was yet, but I am sure it will be 100 times better than what I can make. Seth hugged his Mom and kissed her cheek before heading to say bye to Charlie and the kids.

"So what are you making?" I asked Sue.

"I am making pasta salad with simple turkey and cheese rolls; they both told me they like turkey and cheese." She said as she was cutting up some olives.

"Yeah, they aren't that picky, I just don't really give them much variety."

She laughed. "Well they look pretty healthy to me, so there is no need to worry about that."

I smiled. "Yeah I guess." I guess this should be awkward that she just met me and the kids today and she was cooking in my kitchen, but it just wasn't. Was that weird? "Hey, thanks for doing this, Sue."

"No problem, Edward!" I turned when I heard Peyton come running into the kitchen.

"Daddy! Daddy!" She said excitedly.

"Peyton! Peyton!" I said and smiled at her. She looked excited about something, and I think I could guess just what it was.

"Mommy is here!" She said. I didn't hear the door open, so she must have been looking out the window for her. Peyton has wanted to see Bella more, which broke my heart. She was very protective of Bella right now after what she saw. Bella was coming over this afternoon for a visit. She and the kids were unaware that this will probably be her last visit for a while. I invited her, I know I am weak, but I already feel like a piece of shit for leaving her like I am, and I didn't think letting her visit with her own children for a couple of hours would be so bad. She took a cab here, so that means I am bringing her home, and then that is when I will do it.

I heard the door open, and Peyton ran to go greet her. "Mommy!" She screamed.

I smiled and walked over to see Bella. She was completely lit up as she was hugging Peyton close to her, and Liam came running toward her as well. I walked near them and Bella smiled when she saw me. Her eyes also lit up when she saw me and I am sure mine did as well. I couldn't help it; it was involuntary reaction like blinking.

"How long are you going to stay, Mommy?" Liam asked.

"However long your Dad wants me to stay, honey." She said while pushing his hair away from his face and looking at him with so much love. She was looking at him like it has been ages since she has seen him and she was trying to memorize every little bit of him.

"I will bring you home around five; that is when my parents are coming over." I said. I was standing a couple of feet away from them with my arms crossed. Bella hugged the kids close to her once again and mouthed 'thank you' to me. I called her over here today and I told her she should spend some time with the kids since she has been in the hospital. I kind of lied, and I felt horrible for it, but this was really to just give her some time with the kids before she can't see them again. Ugh…just thinking about it makes me feel like such a heartless person, but I am just doing this for her own good, and for the good of the kids. She needs help, and since we tried everything else, this has to be the thing to get her to take that leap.

I nodded my head, and we were interrupted when Sue came walking into the room. I was still looking at Bella so I saw her look over at Sue, and I saw her face turn red and change to a face filled with anger, hurt, and shock. I was confused by her expression.

"Who the hell are you?" Bella snapped at Sue. Oh, I get it now. She thinks Sue and I are in a relationship. I was hurt that she would even think such a thing, and I wanted to confront her about it. I stopped myself though because I felt bad yelling at her, or starting an argument with her when I know what I will be doing in just a couple of hours.

I looked at Sue, and she looked at a loss for words. "Whoa, whoa, Bella." I said and walked over to her. She still had her eyes and glare on Sue. "Bella look at me." I said and she did immediately. "Sue and I are not together, she is Charlie's wife; remember I told you about him?" I asked, and it took her a second, but I saw realization form in her eyes.

She turned back to Sue, and walked over to her. "Oh my God, I am so sorry." She said as she approached.

Sue seemed to get what was going on because she was smiling again. "Oh no it's fine." She said.

"No, oh my God, I feel like such a bitch!" She said with a laugh and Sue laughed with her.

"Mommy said a bad word!" Peyton said with an accusing tone and we all laughed. Liam seemed to have slipped away somewhere, probably to go get Charlie who was upstairs.

Bella turned to Peyton who was now holding on to my pant leg. "Sorry, baby." She said and turned back to Sue. She put her hand out. "Hi, I'm Bella, I am so sorry for how I reacted." She said and Sue shook her hand with a smile.

"It's okay, I get it. If I came home and a woman was walking out of my kitchen, I would have done the same thing." She was looking at Bella in a weird way though. She looked like there was some kind of recognition in her eyes as she was looking at her.

"I know, but I shouldn't have judged too quickly. It's just…you know…" She said nervously.

Sue smiled. "Oh no, I do know. You love him a lot. I can see it." She said and they both turned toward me. I gave Bella a small smile that I was proud I could even muster at that moment. Sue didn't know what I was going to do today.

"I think 'a lot' is an understatement." Bella said while still looking at me. My smile faded slightly because the twisting feeling in my stomach made me feel nauseous. Sometimes I wish she didn't love me as much as she did just so she doesn't have to feel as much pain as I know I am going to put her through today. And of course the love she has for the kids…oh fuck…I need to stop thinking about this shit.

I heard two pairs of feet come running down the steps and then saw Liam dragging Charlie into the room. Charlie was smiling and he looked up at everyone in the room. His eyes seemed to immediately train on Bella, and he seemed to be studying her for a bit before smiling and walking further into the room. He patted me on the back.

"You going to introduce us?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, Bella this is Charlie, Charlie, this is Bella." Bella smiled and extended her hand to Charlie, and he shook her hand; his big hand pretty much completely engulfed her small one.

"It's very nice to meet you, Charlie. Edward has told me about you before."

"Is he talking bad about me?" He asked in a teasing tone and I rolled my eyes.

Bella laughed. "Actually…yes." She said.

I gasped and looked at her in horror. "I did not." I said.

"Oh really? Well I think I may just have to show that scrawny little thing who is boss." Charlie said and turned towards me. Bella and Charlie both had their hands crossed in front of them with their heads tilted to the right, and the same expression of mischief in their eyes.

"There will be no showing anyone who is the boss of anything." I said.

"I don't know Edward, why would the lady lie?"

I was just stunned for a second. "Alright, how the hell did this happen, I have both of you against me at once!" I said and held my hands up in surrender. Both of them started cracking up laughing at me and I stared at them incredulously. It was like they were an automatic united front.

"We are just kidding Edward." Charlie said. He turned to Bella. "So sensitive." He said while shaking his head and Bella laughed.

I looked over at Sue to see her studying the two together. "Okay, well lunch is ready for anyone who wants to eat." Sue said. Both kids went running into the kitchen after Sue, and I followed. Charlie and Bella were talking together and I was surprised at what fast friends they became. Bella was always so shy and reserved, but I guess all that went away with Charlie. He does have that effect on people.

* * *

Charlie and I were in the living room watching the baseball game while Sue, Bella, and the kids were in the kitchen coloring. Charlie was giving me the lowdown on all the players and the team's history. He really knew a lot about sports. I have never been obsessed with sports or anything, but I watch a game every now and then. Charlie was in the middle of telling me about some player's alleged affair when Peyton ran into the room and jumped into my lap. I expertly maneuvered myself to protect from the hit to the family jewels that was coming when she jumped on me.

"Hi, Daddy!" She said happily.

"Hey, baby." I said and kissed her head.

"Me and Liam want to go to the park with Mommy." She said. "Can we?"

"Uh…" I don't even know why I was hesitated, I would obviously say yes. "Sure baby."

"Yay!" She said and started clapping her little hands together. "You going to come with us?" She asked me with wide eyes. It would be nice to go out with my family and just have a good time together like normal families do, but I don't think I could do it. Call me a coward or whatever, but I was having a hard time sitting here and watching Bella interact with the kids when I knew this would be the last time. This would hurt her so deeply and I was the one who was making it happen.

"No, I'm going to stay here, princess. You go have fun with your Mom."

She sighed in disappointment. "Alright." She said and kissed me on the cheek before getting off of my lap. She walked over to Charlie. "You want to come, Charlie?" She asked.

"Naw, I am too old."

She shrugged. "True." She said and turned on her heal. Charlie gasped and I laughed. Peyton turned around and looked at the both of us quizzically.

"I am not old!" Charlie said to her.

"You just said you were!" She said.

"Yeah but you aren't supposed to agree with me." He said and I was still laughing.

"But it's true right?"

"No!"

She groaned. "Well then why did you say it?" She was getting even more confused and she was getting aggravated.

"Oh never mind! I am old, I accept that!" He said and threw his arms up in surrender.

Peyton waved her hand in his direction dismissively. "Boys don't make sense." She said before running back into the kitchen. Both of us were laughing now.

"That is one cute kid you got there, Edward." He said.

"Yeah I know." Now I heard more footsteps coming into the living room. Bella, Liam, Peyton, and Sue all came into the room. Liam came over to me and gave me a hug.

"Bye, Dad."

I kissed the side of his head. "Have fun with your Mom." I said and he nodded his head with that ecstatic smile on his face. Peyton kissed me again, and Sue was going to go with them too, so she gave Charlie a kiss goodbye. She gave me a small wave before walking out with the kids. Bella was lingering near the door wringing her hands in front of her, looking like that nervous little girl that I fell in love with.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked.

I put my water bottle down on the coffee table as I got up. "Sure." I said. Charlie was engrossed in the television, and I followed Bella back in the kitchen. I put my hands in the pockets of my jeans to restrain myself from just taking her in my arms and holding her. I never thought the day would come when I had to stop myself from touching her. We have been so comfortable around each other for so long. Long before we even became a couple, I would grab her hand without even thinking about it, or just hug her. It was like second nature, and now I had to stop it. I wanted so bad to be doting on her right now, kissing her, holding her, and telling her how much she means to me, but if I did that it would only be for my selfish needs. It would be horrible of me to be doing that with her and then just leave her right after. That wasn't fair to her at all. "What's up?" I asked her.

"You sure you don't want to come with us?" She asked almost hopefully.

"I have some stuff to do." I lied. Unless you call me preparing myself mentally for the huge blow to my heart that will be occurring in just a couple of hours 'stuff to do.'"You all go have fun."

"Please?" She asked looking at me with the same look Peyton gave me earlier when she asked me if I was going.

"I can't, Bella." I said finally.

She nodded her head and looked down at her wringed hands. I wanted so bad to just take her hands in mine so she wouldn't have to wring them. I would love to hold them and bring them to my face…I need to stop, I will only make this worse for myself. "I'm sorry I am being a pain, but I…I just…"

"What is it, Bella?"

"I just really miss you." She said and her voice cracked on the last word. This was good practice for me because my hands practically twitched to be able to touch her in that moment, but I thankfully was able to control myself. It was good practice for later.

"You know the deal, Bella." I said. I was hoping she would for some reason tell me she knew, and she decided she was going to go to get the help she needed. I knew my hoping would get me nowhere because she knows she doesn't really HAVE to do that, she wouldn't lose anything by not going. I still let her see the kids, I still let her see me, and she still gets to drink and get that artificial happiness that she thrives for. She doesn't need it though, that is the thing. She is just unable to see it, so maybe taking away the only real form of happiness she has away, will make her come to realize that she needs to get it together.

"I know." She said and wiped at her eyes. "I'm trying." She said. I wanted to yell 'Try harder!' There were so many things I wanted to say, but I figured I could diminish the argument now, and save it for later.

"I know." I said.

"Can you at least give me a hug, Edward?" I tried, I really did. I fucking tried hard to keep my feet glued to the floor and my arms in my pockets but I was defenseless. I knew what I was doing was wrong as I took the two steps toward her and opened my arms for her to get into. I felt uneasy, but it literally all went away when her body was against mine and her arms wrapped around my middle. She squeezed me tight and I held her tight. Everything was just so right like this. She started to rub my back and I just melted in her arms. "Thank you." She mumbled against my chest.

"Mhm." I said. She pulled away, and as soon as her body was no longer in contact with mine, I felt the guilt and I started beating myself up. I was so weak. How the hell was I supposed to do this? Just one look from her and one question, and I automatically succumb to her. "Uh…I will see you later." I said and put my hands back in my pocket. My hands were sweating as I started freaking out on how I was supposed to do this.

"Bye, baby." She said and then turned toward the door. I stood in the kitchen and waited for the door to close before I started freaking out.

I pulled at my hair and groaned. "Fuck off!" I said loudly. I heard footsteps in the other room and I remembered that I was not alone. I lifted my head and saw a concerned Charlie appear in the entry way of the kitchen.

"You okay, kid?" He asked.

I was about to say yes, but I didn't want to lie. I could be honest with Charlie. "No." I said.

"Is it because of what you are going to be doing later?" He asked. I nodded my head. "You want to talk about it, Edward? It might make you feel better. I could probably tell you some stories."

I looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

He gestured for me to follow him back into the living room so we weren't standing in the middle of the kitchen. He sat down on the couch and I sat next to him. "I would say you and I have become good friends wouldn't you?"

"Yeah." I said.

"So I guess I can tell you these things and trust you won't judge me too harshly. I am a completely different person than I was, oh, 30 years ago."

"I understand that." I said.

"I was a bad kid, Edward. My Mom killed herself when I was four, and my Dad left me in a park when I was five." I put my hand over my mouth so I could close it. It hung open hearing what happened to him at such a young age. I will never understand how anyone would intentionally take themselves away from their kids. It was something that my brain could not comprehend and I don't think it ever will.

"So you were an orphan?"

He nodded his head. "Went to 31 foster homes from the age of five until the day I turned 18. It was terrible, Edward. I don't blame the people who kicked me out of their homes. I was horrible, Edward. I started drinking when I was 12 because I could, I started smoking at 13, I lost my virginity at 14. I was the definition of a fuck up." My mind was blown with what Charlie was telling me right now. He did not seem like he would have come from that upbringing. He was so put together and happy and just a really nice guy. "I have seen things you couldn't even begin to imagine, Edward."

"Wow." Was all I could say.

"When I was 18 and I was on my own, I felt unstoppable. Name me a drug right now." He said all of a sudden.

"Cocaine."

"Did it. I did everything, Edward. I never really got too hooked on them as much as alcohol. I had a different girl every night and I drank and drank and drank."

"How the hell did you make it out of that?" I asked.

"I barely did. But I remember perfectly the night it all changed like it was yesterday." He started wringing his hands in front of him as he thought back to that time. "I was 27. I went to a bar, met this girl and we were both drunk and happy. She was younger than me, I don't know how much younger, but she was. She was alright looking. She took me to her house, we did stuff you know?" I nodded my head; there was no reason for him to get into detail. "Afterwards we were lying together, still drunk, and then she started crying! I mean she was sobbing, Edward. She started blubbering about how she wanted me to love her and how no one ever loved her, and I don't know, Edward, I just lost it. It was one of those life changing moments when you look back and think what the fuck am I doing with my life?"

I nodded my head and continued listening. I can't believe he had to go through all of this. "What did you do?"

"I left." He said. "I know it sounds stupid and mean, but I couldn't deal with it. As she was crying and practically screaming for someone to love her, I realized that I wanted that too. No one ever loved me. Not one person. I went outside, it was raining, and I started hyperventilating. I was shaking, I had no control over my body, my mind was going a million miles a minute, and the alcohol and drugs I took that night started taking over me. I collapsed on the floor, and before I knew it, I was passed out." His face for some reason got softer, and it was a weird expression for him to be wearing after what he told me. "I woke up in a green room." He said.

"A hospital?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. I woke up in a beautiful woman's house who I now like to call my wife."

"Sue? Sue brought you to her house after you passed out?" I asked.

"That she did." He said. "Right after I laid eyes on her, Edward, she had me. She showed me the most affection I ever got in that one night than I had in my entire life. No matter how many girls I slept with, I never felt such a connection to someone as much as I did when she asked me if I was okay."

"That is amazing." I said.

"She is." He said with a smile. "You know, I still see that other girl around sometimes. She is still not doing to great, but I am grateful to her. If it wasn't for her, I would not have met Sue. I tried helping her get back on track one of the times I saw her, but she just fought against it. She told me she had a boyfriend and a kid and she will get her own help. The last time I saw her was probably…hmm…10 or so years ago at a carnival."

I nodded my head. "So you just stopped drinking and stuff like that?" I asked.

He started laughing. "Hell no, kid. Sue and I started dating pretty fast after that night, but I never allowed her to see me drunk. I lasted about a year before she got really suspicious. I have been completely sober for 4 years and 4 months today."

"So you were drunk around your kids?" I asked.

He nodded his head with a shameful look on his face. "Don't think for one second that I don't love my kids, Edward." He said fiercely.

"No! Come on, Charlie, you know that I would be the last person to ever judge anyone on that situation."

He took a deep breath. "I know, I am sorry, but that is a very sensitive subject for me. I just really couldn't control it, Edward. It is hard to explain. But I loved my kids, I still do of course."

"What got you to get sober?"

I felt bad for asking the question after I saw the tear in his eye. "When I was drunk and driving the car that killed my little girl."

My breath caught in my throat as I gasped. Charlie was driving the car when his daughter died? "Oh my God…" I said.

He nodded his head. "You don't understand that feeling, Edward, and I hope you never will. The feeling after you lose a child is the worst kind of pain. But then knowing you were the cause of it adds onto it, and death seems like the only alternative."

"Charlie…you don't have to tell me anymore." I said.

"No, I do, because I want you to see what an important thing you are doing today, Edward." He turned more towards me. "Sue left me. With good reason, too. I didn't blame her, and I still don't. But when she left me and I got those divorce papers, I got a rope, Edward. I went online and learned how to tie a noose, I just wanted out. I was halfway done when I got a call. You want to know who called me?"

"Who?"

"My son. And do you want to know what he said to me? He was 17 at the time."

"What?"

"He told me, I will never forget it, because it saved my life. He said 'I need you, Dad. Please get help so you can come home. Do it for Leah.'"

"And you did?"

"Fuck yes I did. I didn't just do it for Leah though; I did it for my son, my wife, and myself."

"Good for you then."

"Yeah, I guess. I went into rehab that next day, and Sue took me back when I got out. We have our share of problems of course, but we really love each other, and nothing can change that. We both knew we belonged together despite everything, and Leah would not want her parents to be apart."

"I really am sorry for all that happened to you though, Charlie. Especially to your daughter…no one deserves that."

"Thank you, but you realize why I am telling you this right?" He asked. "Sometimes a person has to hit absolute rock bottom before they can get completely up. My rock bottom was losing my daughter, but it didn't have to be that way. By you leaving Bella today, you are going to put her on rock bottom, and she will have nowhere else to go but up."

I nodded my head. "It's just hard, Charlie. I don't want to be away from her at all. I love her so much its…"

He patted me on the back. "I know that, Edward. But think about it, would you rather this be her bottom or for her to have to suffer through the bottom I had?" He asked.

"This bottom." I said.

"You can make that happen for her, Edward. It is going to hurt like hell, I can already tell you that, but I promise you will look back on this when you have your wife in your arms and she isn't slurring her words or intoxicating her body on the daily. You will look back and think, wow, I really did good."

"I hope you are right." I said.

"I promise you, Edward." He sat back on the couch. "And I would like to see that girl get better, she is something special."

"I know she is." I smiled.

"Look at you, you lovesick fool." He said and punched my shoulder lightly.

I laughed. "I never denied it."

He laughed. "Well just to let you know, me and Sue, and even Seth are here for you man. Anytime you need a babysitter, or just someone to cook, you know we are a phone call away."

"Thanks, that means a lot."

"Just stay strong tonight, Edward."

"I am going to try." I am going to try really fucking hard.

* * *

"Okay, Daddy, you press the button after I say three." I pressed the button and 'Colorblind' by Counting Crows started playing. Peyton ran at me with a look of horror on her face. "Not yet!" She yelled. I pressed pause.

"You said after three!" I teased her.

"Not that three!"

I pressed play. "That one?" I asked.

She screamed in frustration. I tried to contain my smirk as I looked over at Bella sitting on the couch with Liam curled up in her lap. Charlie and Sue left about an hour ago, and my parents were going to be here in 30 minutes so I can bring Bella home. I tried not to think of that though, and just enjoy these last moments as a family for a long time. Peyton wanted to show Bella the dance she is learning in her ballet class. She was doing a dance with the older girls in a recital next month, and Bella hasn't seen what she has learned so far. Her dancing with the older girls was a big thing for her. Only four girls her age got chosen for it, and she was ecstatic.

She walked over to the radio and pressed pause. "Daddy, look at me." She said, and I tried not to laugh as she was disciplining me the way I normally discipline her. "Don't press the button until I count to three, okay?"

"Okay."

She patted my head. "Good job." She spun around, her little ballet slippers making it easy for her to spin so easily. She stood in the middle of the living room and got into what I now know is the first position. The coffee table was off to the side to give her room to do her show. "Are you ready, Mommy?" She asked.

"I am more than ready, pretty girl." She said. That look of pure adoration was in her eyes. I had to look away.

"Okay." She looked over at me and gave me a look. "One…two…three." She said and I pressed the play button. Then she started dancing. I have seen her practice the dance many times but she never seized to amaze me when she danced. For a two year old she had great control, and she moved so gracefully. I was mesmerized by this perfect little girl that Bella and I created together. I looked over at Bella and Liam and saw that Bella as well was under a spell while watching Peyton dance. Liam had a small smile on his face, and I knew he was smiling for more than just watching Peyton dance. My perfect little boy was in the living room now with his family, and I knew that is something he always yearns for. A tug was felt at my heart knowing this won't happen for him in a while. I looked back at Bella, my love, and saw she now had tears coming down her cheeks watching Peyton.

The song came to a close, and Peyton stopped dancing, ending right back in the first position. Bella and Liam both started clapping, and I did as well. Peyton was back to her bubbly self and started clapping her hands together and twirling in a circle; she was happy we liked it.

Bella got up from the couch and picked up Peyton and started showering her with kisses. "You were perfect, baby! I have the most talented daughter ever!" She said and continued kissing her.

"Hey what about me?" Liam asked.

Bella brought Peyton with her to the couch where Liam was. She pulled Liam to her as well and started showering both of them with kisses. "You are not my daughter silly." Bella said and they both laughed at her. "But I do have the most talented and handsome son ever!" She said.

The beautiful moment was interrupted by a knock on the door, and then my Mom opening the door. My parents walked into the room, and I got up from the floor. Liam and Peyton both ran at their grandparents and gave them hugs. I walked over to Bella's side. "You ready, lo…uh, are you ready?" I almost completely slipped and called her love. I wish I could just say it one more time.

She nodded her head, her eyes still on the kids. She looked over at me. "Just let me say bye to them." She said. I knew I wouldn't be able to watch her say bye to them right now. It was too final, and I was the only one who knew just how final it was. I headed out the living room and my Mom followed me. She grabbed my arm before I could make it to the door.

"Edward?" She said.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you going to…you know…tonight?" She asked almost hopefully. I understand this has to be done, but can she at least act like she cares that I am about to do something that is going to break my heart? Can't she have some kind of sympathy with me?

"Yes." Was all I said. I didn't want to argue or fight. At this point, I just wanted to get this over with. Maybe once it is all said and done, I will feel a little better, but all of this waiting is making me even crazier.

"Oh, okay." She said with a smile. A fucking smile. I needed to get out of there. I walked over to the door and walked to the car. I waited for Bella, and she was out after three minutes. She ran to the car as the rain was coming down pretty hard, I guess tonight was the rain storm. I had no way of knowing though because today hasn't been a day that I was able to think about other things. She got into the car and smiled at me.

I pulled out of the driveway and started driving towards Bella's apartment. I was doing something I never thought would happen.

* * *

I pulled up in front of the apartment building. The drive was silent for the most part. Bella would comment on the kids or Charlie every now and then, but that was about it. She unbuckled her seat belt, and she looked over in my direction. I knew what she was going to say, but I kind of wished she wouldn't have so I could give myself an excuse as to why I didn't go in there.

"Do you want to come up?" She asked.

"Yes." I said. She smiled at me and started opening her door. I turned the car off, and got out as well. The rain was coming down hard, and we both jogged to the door. She opened it with her key, and we walked up the steps to her apartment. I haven't been here in a while and when we walked in, I noticed it was much like the way I left it last time. White walls, brown couches, small TV, boxes in the corner; this was supposed to be temporary.

"Do you want something to drink?" She asked.

"No thanks."

"You want to come sit?" She asked, gesturing to her couch.

"Sure." I walked ahead of her and sat down on her couch. She sat down on the other side of me. Normally when she would sit down beside me, I would wrap my arm around her and we would just lounge on the couch together…not today. This wasn't the first time I have brought her home. She rarely ever came to the house, but when she did, I would bring her home, and things would escalate. It would start by cuddling on the couch, and end in her bed. It wasn't wrong; we were married and we loved each other and we needed each other.

"I had a good time today." She said.

"Yeah."

"I really can't wait to go see Peyton's recital." She said.

I took this as my opening. "You can't go, Bella." Every word felt like a brick coming up from my throat, not just words.

"What?" She asked, her voice squeaking from the hurt I just caused her.

"You can't go to Peyton's recital." I said. Brick, brick, brick…fuck.

"Wh…why not?" She asked. She got up from the couch, and she was getting defensive now. She was hurt, I could understand that.

"I don't think you should see the kids anymore, Bella."

"What!" She yelled. Her breathing was picking up and I could already see those stupid fucking tears in her eyes.

"Or me. Actually I won't allow it."

She brought both of her hands to her hair. "What? Please tell me you are joking, Edward. Please." She said. She was shaking her head with her hands pulling at her hair.

I got up from the couch. The mask was completely on now. I need to do this; I would not let Bella get to a bottom like Charlie's. "I am not joking. I will not bring the kids to see you, and I will not see you after I leave this apartment."

She took her hands out of her hair and slammed them to my chest. "You bastard!" She yelled. I was expecting this. I could identify with her; I would want to hit someone if they told me I couldn't see my children. "I can see them when I want!"

"No." I said and grabbed her wrists. "You can't. If you don't agree, I have a court order already set up."

A sob broke out of her mouth and she stepped away from me, the pain in her face was staggering. "How could you…"

"Bella, I am only doing this to help you…" I said. I didn't want her to hate me.

"To help me?" She screamed. "You are taking away every single reason I have for living away from me to 'help me'?"

"Yes I am. You can have us back as soon as you get sober. I can't allow for you to be around the kids while you are like this."

She shook her head. "Please don't do this to me, Edward. Please, baby." She said. The tears were coming down her face relentlessly, and I had my hands clenched at my sides. The pain was not as bad as I thought it was going to be at this point. Maybe it was because I wasn't allowing myself to feel.

"I have to do this, Bella."

"You don't. Please, I just need time…I…"

"No. I gave you enough time, Bella. I have been too lenient with you, and it stops now."

"Edward, please. Don't do this. I need you, baby. I need you to be able to live."

Not even my mask was enough to cover the pain I felt in my chest at those words. "Then you need to get serious about getting help, Bella."

"Don't leave me, baby." She pleads with me.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

And then she did something I never imagined her doing at all. She ran up to me and threw her arms around my neck. She hugged me tightly, and I focused completely on trying to keep my hands down. I want to hold her so bad…

She pulled her head away from my neck. "Kiss me. Kiss me, Edward."

Now I brought my arms up so I could get her arms out from around my neck. "No." I said. I brought her hands down by her side.

"Why?" She screamed. She pushed at my chest again. "Come on, Edward, kiss me! I am your wife after all!"

"No, Bella." I said a little louder this time.

"Why? Is it because you know that if you kiss me right now you will not be able to go through with this? Is it because you will realize that we need each other, Edward? We need each other and you know that! Please don't take that away from us, Edward."

"You need to get help, Bella." I said loudly.

"Or do you not want to kiss me because you don't love me anymore? Is that it?"

And then I snapped. "How dare you fucking say that, Bella!" I shouted. "I love you and you know that! I would do absolutely anything for you and that is why I am doing this!" I yelled. I was yelling so loud I felt like the vein in my head could burst. "Do you really doubt my love for you that easily?" I asked weaker now.

She walked back over to me and put her hands on my cheeks. "No, of course not." She said frantically. "I didn't mean it, Edward. I really didn't, I am just scared. I can't live without you…"

"Bella you are going to have to learn how to."

She shook her head. "No."

"Yes." I said and took her hands off of me once again. "You just need to get help, Bella. Please get help."

I turned around because I didn't think I could take anymore. My mask was slowly going away and the pain was hitting me hard. Bella started pulling on my arm as I was walking away, and I shrugged her off. The pain was creeping closer. She grabbed my hand with both of hers and I was forced to turn around. I really wish I didn't though because she was on her knees in front of me. "Please, Edward. Please." She begged. I was about to give in, but then I thought about Charlie. He lost his daughter because of his mistakes and I would not let something like that happen to Bella. This may be hurting her now, but if something like that would happen to her, I don't think she would be able to take it, and I would undoubtedly lose her forever, and I can't live with that.

So I did the hardest thing I had to do. I pulled my hand from hers and took a step back. "Goodbye, Bella." I said. She was bent over onto the floor now, clutching her stomach as she cried and sobbed. With a heavy heart I turned around. I turned my back on her for the first time, and I hoped this would be the right thing.

I made my way to the car feeling like a robot. I wasn't controlling my legs; I wasn't controlling anything because I wasn't all there. The rain was pelting on my face as I walked to the car. I opened the driver's door. I sat down. Put the key in the ignition. Started the car. Put the car in drive. Pulled away from the curb. I was now driving.

I think I drove for about 10 minutes before I realized I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. I was becoming a danger to myself right now and the pain was making it hard to think…see…hear…function. I pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. I leaned my head on the steering wheel and tried to gather myself together. Sitting there only made it worse and I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. I opened the door and stumbled out of the car. My legs seemed to be not working, and this is what I imagined being drunk felt like. I tripped onto the side of the road and caught myself with my hands on the grass.

Again I couldn't control the contents that expelled out of my stomach in that moment. I remember heaving and heaving but it was like an out of body experience. I kept seeing her on the floor begging me not to leave, but I did anyway.

I just left her.

* * *

I walked up the steps of the porch of my home a different person. I think I can get back to a somewhat normal version of myself once I could see my kids, because this was all for them. Everything I do is for them.

I opened the door and was confused when I saw my parents and my brother and sister staring at me. I didn't even notice their cars. "Wha…" I had to clear my throat "What are you all doing here?" I asked.

"Edward you are all wet and dirty!" My Mom said.

I looked down at myself and sighed. "Yeah."

"So how did it go?" Alice asked. Maybe if I was the same Edward, the Edward with his Bella, I wouldn't have flipped out, but I did.

"Why the hell do any of you care?" I asked rhetorically, and I saw each of their faces turn into one of pain. I was on a roll tonight, hurting every person I loved.

"Edward…" Emmett said.

"No! Can you all just stop acting like you even care?"

"We do care, honey…" Esme said.

"Really? Do you really?" I said, looking at all of them. "Because if I remember correctly, I was doing this alone this whole time."

"Edward, maybe you should calm down." My Dad said.

"No! This is my house; I can do what I want! I don't think that any of you have a right to come in here and tell me what to do! I have been doing this alone this whole time, so let me deal with it. I don't need all of you surrounding me and pressuring me and acting like you care about what happens to Bella." They were all speechless, and my Mom started crying. "Well guess what everyone? I have some good news! I left her! Doesn't that make you all so happy? Does seeing me like this make you happy?" I said while hitting my chest.

"Oh Edward…" My Mom said and took a step towards me, and I took a step back.

"Please…please just leave." I said. I didn't need this right now. I need my kids and that's it.

They seemed to get it, and they all left. I felt more guilt from snapping at them as soon as they closed the door, but there was nothing I could do about it now. That will just have to wait. I jogged up the steps and went straight to my room. I took all of my wet clothes off as fast as I could and got into my pajamas. I went to the bathroom and washed my face before going to Liam's room.

I think I entered too loudly because he instantly started waking up when I opened the door. He got up and turned in his bed when he saw me.

"Dad?" he asked while squinting his eyes.

I walked over to his bed and sat down beside him. I pulled him close to me without any words. I hugged him and he hugged me back without question. He knew I needed him right now, and even though he was only eight years old, he was there. I didn't tell him that I left Bella tonight, but I think he just knows because he is so grown up and perceptive.

I didn't mean to do it in front of him, but I started crying. I wasn't sobbing uncontrollably because this wasn't really a cry of pain. It was more a cry of relief that I actually did it. I actually took that step to helping both my children and hopefully Bella in the long run.

"Don't cry, Dad. It's okay. I love you." He said as he pulled away.

I kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry, I will stop. I love you too, son."

"Do you want to have a Daddy-Liam-Peyton sleepover night again? Maybe it will make you feel better."

Perceptive and smart my boy is. "Yeah, just let me get your sister." He got out of my arms and got down from the bed. I followed him out of the room and he ran to my room as I went to Peyton's room. She was sleeping on her stomach, and I tried to pick her up without waking her. I got her on my shoulder and she started waking up.

"Daddy?" She mumbled.

"Yeah it's me, princess. Want to sleep in my room?" I whispered.

"Yup." She said simply and snuggled closer to me and fell back asleep. I walked with her to my room, and the three of us got comfortable on the bed like we do when we have these kind of nights. I really did feel better in that moment. I was having trouble falling asleep though because I kept on thinking back on seeing her knelt down on that floor begging me to stay. She was at the bottom at that moment, and I put her there. But it was like Charlie said; when you are at the bottom, you have nowhere else to go but up. So that is where I kept telling myself Bella would go. I truly believe she will get the help she needs. The only thing was when.

I guess for now we just have to wait.

* * *

**So sorry for the delay on this chapter but this week has been really busy and hard for me. My Dad has been sick and guess from what? Drinking alcohol...ironic huh? So yeah, this week has been a little crazy. So I don't know when the next update will be, but you all know I will try my hardest to update it as soon as I can! I hope I made up for it though with this really long chapter! **

**Thank you once again to my FFBFF Alexa for pre-reading this for me! You have been so helpful to me this week especially in making sure I keep thinking positive. I love you! We have also been working on our new project as well, and it should be coming out soon! **

**I am going to add pictures of Sue, Charlie, and Seth on my profile. (I have a crush on Seth lol)**

**Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, it meant a lot! **

**Review please! **


	30. Chapter 29: Infinity

**Chapter 29: Infinity  
June 20, 2010**

EPOV

"You haven't heard from her at all?" I asked as I paced out on the front lawn. It was only about seven in the morning, but I have been awake for at least three hours already.

"Not since Wednesday, no." Julia said. It was Sunday today…my birthday…father's day, and I was freaking out. It has been exactly three months today since I have seen Bella. I was a mess. I mean, I put on a good show for my kids at least, but I was burning on the inside. Not a moment went by when I didn't think about her or how she is doing. The worst part is having absolutely no contact with her. How do I know she is safe? How do I know she isn't sick? How do I know where she is? She came to the house the night after I left her, but I ignored her knocking. She didn't make a big scene, because I am sure she didn't want to scare the kids, but I could hear her cries from behind the door. She eventually left, and that was the last time I had any knowledge of where she was.

Julia has been very helpful. Bella still went to go see her for their regular appointments. I know this because I would call Julia every day I knew she had an appointment and made sure she went. I have to admit that I was pretty annoying though, and I am surprised Julia has been so patient with me. I tried every single time I talked to her to get some information on how Bella is doing. I wanted to know what she was saying and how she was feeling, but Julia would not budge. She was a professional, and doctor-patient confidentiality was something she abided by. Julia was nice enough to tell me that Bella had been to every single one of her appointments though, except the one this past Friday. When she didn't go, I freaked out.

"Maybe I should go by there."

"No, Edward…don't do that."

I ran my free hand through my hair. "Well what the hell am I supposed to do, Julia? What if she is sick? What if she is…ugh…I need to at least know if she is okay."

"She is a big girl, Edward." Julia said. "You need to just calm down, and enjoy your birthday and father's day."

"What if she is…"

"Edward, stop." She said and I groaned. "Take a deep breath. So what if she missed one appointment, maybe she was just working late." I knew she was right, but it still did little to ease the tightening in my chest. I was really just grasping for any knowledge of how she was doing.

"Okay fine. But if she doesn't show up tomorrow, can I at least have someone go check on her?" I asked desperately.

"Look, if she doesn't show up tomorrow, I will go check on her personally."

I took a deep breath. "Okay."

"Now I think you should just push all of this in the back of your head and spend your birthday and father's day with your kids. You did the right thing, Edward; you just have to let everything play out."

I nodded my head but realized she couldn't see it. "Thank you." I said. She said goodbye and we hung up. I stopped pacing and realized that my bare feet were getting cold. I came outside to get some air this morning and I didn't want to wake the kids while I was on the phone.

I walked back in the house and made my way to the kitchen. Coffee has been my best friend these past months. Since I was running on little to no sleep, caffeine was keeping me functioning, and it made it possible for me to act normal in front of Liam and Peyton. I wouldn't say I was completely unhappy, because I wasn't. Thanks to Liam and Peyton, that will never be true, but I guess you could say I wasn't complete. There was always that nagging empty feeling in my chest that bothered me 24/7. I have gotten better at ignoring it, and I was actually proud of how I have tried to be positive for the kids.

But now that they were sleeping, and I was alone in the kitchen, I wasn't acting at all. I sat down at the table and just stared off into space. The feeling was nothing like I imagined it would be…it was worse. I don't know how many times I have told myself that what I am doing is the right thing. I guess I just hoped she wouldn't have taken so long to get it together. It was all wishful thinking on my part though, because she hasn't.

Thankfully I heard a set of footsteps coming down the stairs. I turned in my seat to see Liam walking toward me while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. I smiled at him and he walked up to me with his arms outstretched. I put my coffee down on the table and picked him up in my lap. He hugged me and then turned in my lap so he was leaning on the table.

"Can I try some?" He asked, gesturing to the coffee.

I shrugged. "Sure, but only a sip."

He picked up the mug. "Ahh…it's warm." He said appreciatively and I chuckled.

"Yes it is." He lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip. He seemed to be really testing out the taste as he smacked his lips. "What do you think?" I asked.

"It's the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted." He said nonchalantly and I laughed. I kissed the side of his head and tickled his sides. His giggle filled the room, and the empty feeling was soon forgotten in that moment. He squirmed away from me and out of my lap. He stood on the floor and lifted his hands above his head to stretch. I took a sip of my coffee. "Ugh…that's gross." He said.

"It is good; I don't know what you are talking about." I said as I took another sip. He gave me a weird look before his face turned to one of realization.

"Oh!" He said and then ran out of the room. I was left confused and I got up to see where he went. As I was walking down the hall, he was running back and he had a blue folded up piece of paper in his hand. "Dad! Happy birthday! And happy father's day!" He said and handed me the paper. I picked it up and looked at the front of it. The front had a picture of a cake that he must have drawn on his own. There were a lot of candles on the cake that were slightly tilted to the right side, but it was the most perfect cake I had ever seen. My cheeks were hurting from the big smile on my face as I read the 'Happy Birthday Dad' that he wrote on the front. I opened the card, and laughed when I saw the two sides. On the left side was just a bunch of scribbles and circles, but I am pretty sure there was a flower thrown in there. On the right side it said 'You are the best Dad. We love you, Liam and Peyton.'

I felt like a total and complete sap when I wanted to cry, but really, who wouldn't melt? Despite everything that is fucked up in my life, I was blessed with perfect kids.

"Peyton did the drawing on that side." Liam said while pointing at the scribbles and circles while rolling his eyes. I laughed and knelt down beside him and hugged him tight.

"This is the best gift I have ever got, Liam." I said and kissed the top of his head.

"Really?" He asked.

"Really."

"Well there is more!" He said excitedly.

"What?" I asked. "I don't need anymore."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. But I can't tell you anything…Sue and Charlie will be mad!" He said and turned around and ran into the living room. I shook my head and I couldn't even imagine what those two had cooked up. I went into the living room with Liam and we sat down on the couch and watched some TV. I was expecting Peyton to wake up within minutes, but she never did. She is usually awake way before Liam, and I began to get worried.

"Was your sister awake when you were upstairs?" I asked Liam. He shook his head no without taking his eyes off the TV. "Alright well I am going to go check on her." I said and unwrapped my arm from around him and headed toward the stairs.

Once I made it into her room, I saw that she was still sleeping. I could hear her breathing heavily, and I walked faster to her crib. I put my hand on her head and she definitely felt warm. Great…she is probably sick. I ran my hands through her hair and called her name softly. I felt bad that I was going to wake her up, but I wanted to see how sick she was and try to help her in some ways, and then she can sleep for as long as she wants for the rest of the day. She finally started moving around, and she lifted her head.

"Daddy." She said groggily and dropped her head back on the pillow with a sigh.

"Come here, baby." I said and reached my arms out to her. She lifted her head, and I just picked her up out of the crib. She rested her head on my shoulder and whimpered.

"I don't feel good, Daddy." She said and sniffled.

"I can tell, baby, you were sleeping a long time." She lifted her head up and started coughing. "Cover your mouth, Peyton." I told her and she immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

When she was done coughing, she started talking again. "I couldn't sleep last night, Daddy."

"Well why didn't you call me?"

I could see she was getting flustered and the tears were filling in her eyes. "It's cuz I was too tired!" She said and I could help but laugh at her cuteness.

"Oh, honey." I said and pulled her head back down to my chest. I rubbed her back and I kept chuckling.

"S'not funny, Daddy." She said against my neck.

I kissed the side of her head. "I know baby, but you are just the cutest little girl I have ever seen."

She didn't answer for a couple of seconds and then giggled a little. "I know." I laughed harder and yeah…my kids did make it better.

* * *

"So how is work son?" My Dad asked as he came to sit next to me on the couch. Charlie really did have something planned, and he invited my whole family over for my birthday/father's day celebration. Normally I wouldn't have wanted such a big thing, but it was nice seeing everyone and it helped me not dwell on other stuff when I had all of them to distract me. It was almost noon now, and my Mom and Sue were making spaghetti for lunch. Things were a little tense between me and my family for a couple of weeks, but we eventually got over it. Everyone apologized to me first, so it just took us a while to get back to normal. I wouldn't want to hold a grudge against them. When it is your family, there is no space for holding grudges.

"It has been okay." I said as I was rubbing a sleeping Peyton's back. Her fever was practically nonexistent, but she was still not feeling good. I felt bad because colds really suck, but she seems to be sleeping it off. She has been sleeping on my chest for about an hour now. I tried to move her to her crib, but she gets really clingy when she was sick.

"Oh yeah? No crazy people threatening my son are there?" He asked and I smiled.

"No Dad…well actually yes, but they are all talk and no action."

He laughed and patted me on the back. "You know, I know I don't tell you enough, but I really am proud of you, Edward."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad. I've been trying."

"And succeeding." I shrugged my shoulders. "Your Dad would have been proud too you know."

I swallowed. "I hope so. I think I am going to bring Liam with me to go to their graves."

"Really? Have you brought him before?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Bella and I would bring the both of them to see them the day after Christmas, but I haven't been in a couple of years now. Liam doesn't even remember."

"Oh, so what about Peyton?"

I looked down at my sleeping baby. "No I don't think I will today at least. She won't really understand or remember really. Plus she is sick…I don't want to have her outside for too long."

"We can stay with her if you want." He said.

"Yeah that would be great. I was actually thinking about going after lunch if you don't mind."

"Oh no of course, we will be here when you get back too."

* * *

"There are a lot of stones here, Dad." Liam said as we were walking hand-in-hand towards where my parents were buried. He was pretty quiet on the way there. I have brought him here before but he was probably three or four the last time I brought him. I visited them as much as I could, and with the way things have been lately, it hasn't been often. That was something I felt horrible about, but I am sure they would understand.

"People die every day, bud." I got anxious as we got close to where they were. I know Liam will have some questions about my parents and probably death and I just hope I will be able to answer them correctly. I don't want him to be afraid or anything like that. Bella and I never really sat down with him and discussed death and what happens when a person dies. It is actually a scary thing to talk about because I really don't have all the answers for him. No one really has a straight answer though so I guess I won't be cheating him out of anything.

I stopped when we were in front of their grave stones. They were side by side; the headstones were the same, just different names and birthdates. One said "Beloved Mother" and one said "Beloved Father" and beloved they were.

I looked down at Liam to see how he was doing. He was holding onto my hand tightly, and his eyes were darting between both of their gravestones. He had the pink and yellow flowers clutched to his chest, and I saw he was hesitant on what to do.

"You want to put the flowers down?" I asked softly so I didn't startle him. He nodded his head but made no motion to move. I took a step forward and he went with me. We walked up to my Mom's grave first.

"Elizabeth Cullen." Liam whispered. "This is Grandma?" He asked and finally looked up at me.

"Yes it is. This is where she is buried."

He nodded and looked back at the stone. "I will give her the pink flowers. Did she like pink?"

I put my hand on his shoulder. "She loved pink." I told him and he nodded. We were standing about three feet away from the stone. I was expecting him to want me to go with him, but I was so proud of my boy when he let go of my hand and stepped forward by himself. He took the pink bouquet of flowers and placed them in front of the stone. After he put them down, he walked backwards away from it. He took my hand and we walked to the right to stand in front of my father's. Liam wasn't as hesitant as before and he placed the flowers down.

He grabbed my hand again. "What do we do now?" He asked.

"Well I usually just sit down for a little while."

"Okay." He said. I walked over the space between their headstones and sat down. Liam walked over in front of me and sat in between my bent legs. He leaned back on my chest and sighed. "What else do you do, Dad?" He asked.

"I talk to them most of the time."

"You talk to them?" He asked.

"Mhm."

"But how can they hear you?"

Now this is when I need to be careful. I don't want him to be frightened of death because that is not a good way to live. It was a fact of life that I think he needs to understand. "They can hear me. Grandma and Grandpa may be dead, but they can still hear us."

"How? What happens when someone dies?"

"No one really knows for sure, bud." I told him honestly. "And a lot of people believe in many different things." We weren't that religious really so I didn't want to randomly start telling him about God and heaven since it wasn't something he really was familiar with.

"What do you believe in?"

I sighed. "I believe that when a person dies, their soul just leaves their body. Their body stays here, and their soul goes somewhere else where they are happy all the time. So I am pretty sure that wherever Grandma and Grandpa's souls are right now, I am sure they are together because they made each other happy."

"But didn't you make them happy too?"

His words surprised me and I wasn't prepared to answer this question. I took a deep breath. "Yes they were, so I think their souls sometimes come and see me and make sure I am doing okay."

"Why didn't they just stay here with you so they can talk to you and hug you?"

I wrapped my arm around him and kissed the top of his head. I was getting emotional and I didn't want to start crying in front of him. "They didn't have a choice, buddy. Everyone dies eventually. Some die earlier than others and it is just something that will happen to everyone. They have no control over it at all."

"When will you die?" He asked and my breath got caught in my throat. Liam turned a little and looked at me with frantic eyes. "Who will take care of me? What about Peyton? And Mommy! Who will make sure Mommy is okay?" His eyes were getting wet.

"Hey, hey, hey." I said trying to calm him down. "Calm down, buddy. I plan on staying here with you and Peyton and your Mom for a very long time." He seemed to relax a little and he turned back around and collapsed back on my chest. I put both of my arms around him. "But if for some reason I do die, you will always be cared for, buddy."

"Yeah?"

"Of course. Do you know how many people love you?"

"A lot I think."

"Definitely a lot. You are a very lucky little boy."

"Yeah I know, but I would still miss you if I couldn't see you. Peyton would too, I just know it. And Mommy would be sad all the time. Mommy loves you a lot, Daddy. She tells me that all the time."

Man this wasn't helping my tears. "I know. I love your Mom a lot too."

"She told me that you always protected her. She said her Mommy was very mean when she was little and you always made her feel better."

"That is what you do when you love someone, buddy, you protect them and make sure they are never hurt."

He didn't say anything after that for a while. I guess he was just taking everything in and processing it. This was a lot of new information for him to think about, so I understood. We were silent and the only noise was from the wind in my ears.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, son?"

"You said someone will always take care of me if you died right? And Peyton?"

"Of course, buddy."

"Well who will take care of Mommy?"

It took a second for his words to hit me, but when they did they hit me hard. I pressed my lips together to hold in my emotions. I took deep breaths within my nose and blinked away the tears. I didn't want him seeing me cry right now. I didn't want him to be afraid, but his words…fuck. Who would take care of her? I am her only support right now even though I am not with her physically. I would like to think that my family would take care of her, but for some reason I just don't think they would. Of course Bella will always have our kids and I know them alone will keep her going if I were gone because they just had that power over the both of us. But who would hold her at night when she was missing me? Who would make sure she wasn't drinking too much? Who would hold her hair when she was throwing up? Who would tell her how beautiful she was every day? Who would make her feel loved unconditionally no matter what? Who will keep her from sinking into the dark places in her mind? Who will take care of her?

"Dad?" Liam asked.

I shook my head to clear the thoughts running through it. "That is nothing you have to worry about, Liam. You can't think about the 'what ifs' all the time. I am here right now, and I will be here for a long time. So you don't need to worry about any of that, okay?"

"Okay." He said. We were silent again, and he broke the silence once again. "Would Grandma and Grandpa have liked me?"

I smiled and wiped my eyes. "They would have absolutely loved you, kid."

"They would have loved Peyton too." He said. It amazed me how much he was so unselfish and of how much he loves Peyton. He always factored her into everything, and I knew we must have done something right with the way my boy was so caring.

"Of course they would have. I mean they do. They love the both of you."

"Can I tell them one thing?"

"You can tell them anything, buddy."

"Grandma…Grandpa…" He started and then paused. "We love you too." I kissed the top of his head. "And don't worry. We will take care of Daddy."

* * *

"Hey, Dad?" Liam asked from the back seat.

"Yeah?" I said as I looked both ways before I drove past the stop sign.

"What are we going to have for supper?"

I chuckled. "We just had lunch and you are already thinking about dinner?"

"We had lunch like 10 hours ago!"

I laughed. "It was two hours ago, Liam."

"That is a long time, Dad."

"Not really." I said with a smile on my face. We were heading home after going to see my parents. He did really well and I hope I did alright explaining things to him. He ended up talking a lot to my parents. He was a good story teller and I am sure my parents appreciated his stories.

"Don't make fun of me, Dad. I am a growing boy…I need my food!"

It really wasn't a good idea for him to get me laughing while I was driving. "Who told you that?"

"Sue did. She said Seth ate a lot when he was little and look at him. He is big and tall and cool."

"Aren't I big and tall and cool?"

"Eh…" He said and I gasped. "You're a Dad, so you aren't that cool."

"I am insulted, buddy. I think I am pretty cool if I do say so myself."

"Believe what you want, Dad." He said and I just laughed at him. My phone started ringing and I went to grab it from the center console, but I was stopped with a slap to my hand. "No talking on the phone and driving, Dad." Liam warned me.

I groaned. I knew I could talk on the phone and drive, but I didn't want to set a bad example. His teacher has been teaching him about what is safe and not safe to do while driving. "Then you answer it." I said.

He picked up my iPhone and answered it. He knows how to use it because I taught him in case of an emergency. "Hello?" He said. "Hi, Charlie…why is Peyton crying?" My ears perked up at his words. "Dad, when will we be home?" He asked me.

"Less than a minute, why what is wrong?" I asked. I could hear Peyton crying through the phone and I pressed a little harder on the gas pedal.

"He said less than a minute…okay…okay, bye Charlie." He said and hung up the phone. "Charlie said Peyton is upset."

"Did he say why?" I asked.

"No." I made it up to the house in less than a minute like I said and Liam and I got out. I could hear Peyton screaming and crying from inside and I ran towards the door. Liam was right behind me. I opened the door and went into the living room where she was. She was sitting in the corner with her little knees to her chest crying. Sue and Charlie were squatted down in front of her trying to comfort her. I walked over to her and got down on my knees. I reached for her, but she moved away.

"Honey, come here." I said soothingly. I don't know what got into her, but her face was red and she had tears and snots running down her face.

"No, Daddy." She said.

"Baby, what is wrong?" I asked, still reaching for her. She just shook her head and I looked over at Charlie and Sue. "What the hell happened?" I asked.

"She was sleeping on the couch, she was sleeping the whole time you were gone until just about 10 minutes ago and then she woke up screaming. I think she had a nightmare, but she wouldn't tell us anything." Sue said. I could see she had tears in her eyes because she was also worried for Peyton.

I scooted closer to her on my knees. "Peyton, I need you to calm down, sweetheart. You are going to make yourself even sicker."

My words did nothing at all to comfort her and she started crying even more. I was so confused and worried my head was all fogged up. "Dad?" Liam asked from behind me.

"What is it?"

"There is a guy on the phone for you."

"Tell whoever it is to call back; I am a little busy here." I told him. He didn't say anything back, so I guess he just listened. I turned to Sue and Charlie. "Would you guys mind giving us a minute?" I asked.

"Of course." Charlie said and both him and Sue got up and walked out of the living room. I turned back to my crying baby.

"Peyton, talk to Daddy, honey. What is wrong? Do you want something? Just tell me. I will do anything to help you, baby."

"Can you go get Mommy, Daddy? I want my Mommy."

I sighed. I mentally prepared myself for questions and requests like these, and it wasn't the first time one of them asked for Bella. It really wasn't fair to them, but I am confident that they will make it out of this alright. "Honey, you can't see Mommy right now."

"Can I call her then?" She asked and wiped away some of her tears with the back of her hand.

I shook my head. "No, baby." She started crying some more and buried her face in her hands. I got even closer to her and picked her up and put her in my lap. She didn't fight me this time, and she rested her head on my chest as she cried. I picked up the bottom of my shirt and wiped her face for her. My shirt got wet with snots and tears, but I had far larger problems at the moment. "It's okay, sweetie. Stop crying okay?"

"I guess so." She said and wrapped her arms around my middle. She couldn't reach all the way around me, but her hold was tight. I sat on the floor rocking her for a couple of minutes. I was rubbing her back, and she began to relax even more. "I need a tissue, Daddy." She said and sniffled. I got up with her still in my arms and walked to the bathroom in the hallway. I took a tissue and brought it to her nose and she blew. I wiped her nose for her. "Thank you."

"Feeling better?" I asked.

She lifted her head from my shoulder. "Yeah. Can I go play with Liam?"

"Sure." I said and brought her into the kitchen where Liam, Sue, and Charlie were. "Liam, you want to go play with your sister?" I asked him.

"Sure." He said and ran over to us. I put Peyton down, and they ran to go play.

"Where are my parents?" I asked Sue and Charlie as I sat down at the table with them.

"Your father got called into work. He really didn't want to go, but you know…work calls." Sue said. "He said he will come by when he gets out because he was upset he had to leave on father's day."

I nodded my head. "That's fine."

"Oh and a package came in for you." Charlie said as he got up from his chair. He walked over to the kitchen counter and handed me the package. "There was no name on it, but an address."

I turned the package around so I could read the address and I nearly dropped it when I saw. "It's from Bella." I choked out.

"Really?" Sue asked.

"Yes. What do I do? Should I open it?"

"That is up to you, Edward." Charlie said and I still had my eyes on the package. "There is no one forcing you to go one way."

Finally I put it on the table. "I will think about it."

* * *

I sat at the table after everyone left, and the kids were asleep staring at the package. Should I or shouldn't I? Technically she shouldn't have sent it at all. This was a form of contact and I told her we couldn't have any of that. But then again, what would it hurt? It's not like she delivered it personally. That would be a different story. I was so worried about her though, and this small form of contact had me anxious. I reached across the table and took the package in my hands. I ripped off the tape before I could change my mind.

There was an envelope on top of whatever was inside of the box. I picked up the envelope and saw my name written in her handwriting on the front. I took the white lined paper out and saw she only wrote a couple of sentences. It said:

_I don't know if this is breaking the rules, but I had to give this to you. The kids have been helping me with it. It isn't finished because it didn't feel right finishing it without them, but I wanted to send it to you anyway. Happy birthday/father's day. _

_Don't get mad,  
Bella_

I could tell she erased 'baby' after she wrote father's day. I read the note over and over again just drinking it in. It was only a few simple sentences, but it was the most I have heard from Bella in over three months. I folded the letter back up and put it in the envelope, and I put it on the table. I reached into the box and pulled out what felt like a book. I pushed the box away and put the book in front of me. It was silver with a picture of Liam and Peyton on the front of it. Both of their smiling faces were right there in front of me and I smiled. I opened the front cover and it said 'Daddy's Book' with Liam's name on the bottom and Peyton's scribbles. I turned the page again, and I could tell at this point that they worked together to make me a scrapbook.

The first couple of pages were blue and had pictures of Liam from when he was a baby to more recent times. On the top of every page it said 'My Dad is my hero'. Most of them were just pictures of Liam, but there were some with me and him thrown in there. Then the pages turned pink and those were dedicated to my little girl. On the top of those pages it said 'To her the name of father was another name for love'. There were the same amount of pictures of Peyton and I swear the smile would never leave my face. Then the pages turned red and these were the pages that weren't finished. There were still a lot of blank pages after it, but the only thing I could see on this red page was the words 'The best gift a father can give to his children is to love their mother'. There was only a single picture on this page, and it was a picture of me and Bella at my sixth birthday party.

This must have been where she didn't finish, because that was the only picture on the page. I found myself wanting there to be more so bad. It was a very thoughtful gift, and it made me love Bella even more. It made me miss her more too. I turned back to the beginning and started looking through it again. I stopped though when I heard a knock at the door. I am sure it was my Dad even though it was already nine at night. He got held up at the hospital, and he said he wanted to give me my gift.

I sighed as I got up from the chair bringing my water bottle with me. I could have sworn I left the door unlocked, and I told him when I talked to him earlier to just come in. I unscrewed the cap of the bottle as I walked to the door. I took a sip and opened the door. I turned away immediately and walked towards the kitchen. "Hey, Dad." I said as I walked to the kitchen. He didn't say anything so I turned around. "Oh shit." I said and dropped my bottle of water on the floor.

"I'm sorry." She said and brought her hands to her face. Her voice cracked but the sound enveloped me. My heart was beating against my chest, and my body was burning with relief.

"Bella….what….what are you doing here?"

"I can leave if you really want me to, but I really need to talk to you." I took a step forward and my foot slipped on the water. Bella launched forward. "Be careful!" She said. I was able to catch my balance, and my eyes never left Bella's face. Her face began to be filled with panic when she realized she was inside of the house. She turned around and went to head back outside.

"Bella, stop." I said. She turned around halfway, and I hated how nervous she was in her own home. "You said there was something you needed to tell me?"

"Yes, I guess I don't have too, but I would rather you hear it from me. I know I shouldn't be here, and I don't mean to go against what you say, Edward, I really don't but I just…" She stopped and wiped her hands on her eyes.

"Why don't you go to the living room…I am just going to clean up the water."

"I can do that for you." She said. She shut the door and started going towards the water.

"No, it is fine, Bella." She turned back to me and wrung her hands in front of her. "I will just go…to the living room." I nodded my head and she walked past me into the living room. I took a cleansing breath and got a towel to clean the water from the floor. It didn't take me long, and I walked quickly to the living room where Bella was looking at a picture of Peyton at her first recital that was hanging on the wall.

"She got a trophy that night." I said as I walked in. She jumped slightly at my voice and looked over at me with a small smile. "She was flawless."

"I am sure she was." She said. Her arms were crossed across her chest. "Did you get the book?"

I smiled. "Yes."

"You weren't mad right?" I shook my head. "Of course you weren't, because you are Edward." She walked past me again and sat down on the couch. I sat down next to her on the opposite side of the couch. "You can tell me to leave, Edward. I know me being here is wrong."

"It is, but I know you well enough to know you wouldn't have come over here unless you thought it was absolutely necessary."

She got up from the couch. "You really shouldn't trust me as much as you do, Edward."

"Why?"

"Because I have been keeping something from you."

Now I got up from the couch. I ran my hand through my hair. "What the hell are you talking about, Bella?"

"It wasn't my fault though, Edward. I couldn't tell you. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I just couldn't."

"Bella can you please stop beating around the bush and just fucking tell me." I said getting frustrated. She comes in here and tells me she has been keeping something from me and then puts off telling me what it is for as long as she can. I just need to know.

"I need to start at the beginning." She said and sat back down on the couch. I sat down with her. "Do you remember that Sunday before I went to the hospital?"

"Yes, the Sunday you were drunk off your ass and the kids couldn't see you." I said harshly. I took a deep breath to calm myself when I saw the look of hurt in her eyes.

"Yes." She said; her voice hoarse. "Yes, that day."

"What about it?"

"There was a reason I was drunk…well I guess there is no excuse but it was bad, Edward."

"What was it, Bella?"

"Renee came to my house on that Saturday."

"What!" I yelled and got up from the couch. How the hell could she have let that happen without telling me?

She got up. "Calm down, bab…Edward. You don't want to wake the kids."

"What the fuck, Bella?" I said a little lower now. My hands were clenched at my sides and I was freaking the fuck out. Just hearing her name gets my blood boiling, but then knowing that she was so close to Bella when I wasn't there to protect her made me feel nauseous.

"She wasn't alone. She came with that Jacob guy…he is scary…umm…" A growl came up in my throat. Now I had her horrible mother and her drug dealer boyfriend in my wife's house and she didn't even fucking tell me. "Please, Edward, don't get mad, just let me explain."

"I am listening, Bella." My voice grew louder a few decibels and I had to push it back. "Just tell me."

"They showed up at my door late at night…probably midnight or something. I couldn't sleep because…well I don't really sleep much anymore." She shook her head quickly. "Anyways…I open the door and there they were. They came in without even asking and I yelled at them to get out. I was screaming and close to crying, but I stopped when Jacob punched me in the stomach." I growled loudly this time and I was close to throwing the coffee table across the room. "I was fine, Edward."

"That doesn't make it better, Bella. He shouldn't have put his hands on you." I snarled.

"It is in the past." She said, and I didn't want to interrupt her again. I could push this back for now, but if I ever saw that bastard, I would want to fucking teach him to pick on someone his own size. Fucking coward. "They didn't waste time. They started searching my apartment, my purse, my wallet, my jacket, everything, and they took every dollar that they found. I wanted to stop them, but I couldn't do anything without them getting even angrier at me.

"When they were finished, Renee pushed me against the wall by my throat, and told me that if I told anyone, she would make sure I regretted it." She stopped and covered her mouth with her hand. "And…" She was hesitant.

"Bella." I warned her. I didn't want her to spare any details. I need to know all of the things they did to her.

"Jacob had a picture I had of you and the kids in my wallet, and he ripped it into pieces in front of me." A tear fell from her eye and she wiped it away. "The threat was pretty clear to me."

"Oh, Bella." I took a step forward, but stopped in my place. I didn't want to give her mixed ideas. I didn't want to mess with her head. I just wanted to hold her and reassure her that she is okay, and so are me and the kids. But I couldn't do that without hurting her in the long run. "We are fine, Bella."

"I know you are. But that is why I never told you, Edward. I could deal with it on my own as long as I knew you and the kids wouldn't be affected." She wrapped her arms around herself. "You understand that right?"

"Of course I do, Bella."

"So that night I drank. I had no other way of dealing with the pain and how scared I was. It was too late to call you…it's not like I could have called you anyway without putting you in danger." She was getting frustrated just talking about it.

"I understand, Bella."

She nodded her head and was silent for a moment. "That wasn't the last time." She said and I tensed up again. "Actually far from the last time. They came to my house every Saturday after that and took all of my money. I don't know what they used it for, but I think I have a good idea." I couldn't think of a response. This news was blowing my mind, I had absolutely no idea. She must have been so scared. "Every Saturday they came religiously except for that Saturday that you…you know."

The Saturday I left her. "Yes, I know."

"That's why I didn't get you anything else for your birthday…I couldn't afford it. I had to sell some of my clothes and furniture and…well you know. I don't want to go into too much detail; I am not here to try and guilt you into anything or for you to pity me."

"I don't think that, Bella." I said. I put my hands in my pockets. The need to comfort her was overwhelming.

"I am here to just let you know, that I have done something to try and stop them."

"What?" I asked.

"I called a private investigator…his name is Adrian Baxter. I called him, told him what is going on, and he has been helping me little by little to try and get them caught and to protect you and the kids." She pulled out a card from her pocket and handed it to me. "He said he was going to call you today, but I guess he didn't."

I brought my hand to my hair. "Shit, I think he did, but I was doing something and Liam answered my phone. I told him to tell him to call me back."

She nodded. "Okay, well he will tell you more details tomorrow then. I just need to know that you are all okay while I am gone."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I am leaving for Florida in a couple of hours."

Florida? That was on the whole other side of the country! Why the hell would she go to Florida? "Can I ask why?"

She didn't answer me, but instead went into her back pocket and got something out. It looked like a brochure of some kind. She had it folded so she could fit it in her pocket. She unfolded it and handed it to me. The front of it said 'The Watershed Addiction Treatment and Drug Rehab Center.' I am sure my eyes bugged out of my head as I was reading it. The tears burned in my eyes…it was almost too good to be true.

"I don't know if I will like Florida that much because it will be too hot. But that place looks nice doesn't it?" She asked softly.

"It does." I said and opened the brochure. "Why are you going all the way to Florida though?"

"Julia said that if I go to a rehab, I should look for one far away so I am not tempted to leave and go home." She said and I looked up at her.

"You are serious about this?" I asked.

She nodded her head. "Yes. I literally have nothing, Edward. I work for nothing because my money just gets taken away from me, and the alcohol just isn't enough to cover the pain I feel from being away from all of you." She said and covered her mouth with her hand. "I feel like I am literally falling apart."

"What time do you have to be at the airport?" I asked.

"What time is it? I don't have my phone." I took my phone out of my pocket.

"It is almost 10."

"I should be going in 20 minutes. Can I use your phone to call a cab?"

"How did you get here?"

"I walked."

"You walked all the way from your apartment?" I asked.

"Yes."

"How long did it take you?"

"About an hour and a half, but it's alright, Edward. I only have enough for an hour ride from here to the airport so I couldn't buy a bus ticket." She was breaking my heart.

The front door opened and my Dad walked in. He walked to the living room and he gasped when he saw Bella. "Dad, can you stay here for a while so I can bring Bella to the airport?" I asked him.

"No, Edward it is fine…" Bella said.

"No, I am bringing you." I said and looked over at my Dad for an answer.

"Sure…uh…do you mind if I ask where you are going, Bella?" He asked her.

She looked embarrassed, but she had no reason to. What she was doing made me feel so incredibly happy, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. "I am going to rehab in Florida."

My Dad smiled. "Good for you, Bella."

She gave him a small smile. "Can you just give us a minute, Dad?" I asked. He nodded and stepped out of the room. "We can leave right now, alright?"

She nodded. "Can I ask you something?" Bella asked hesitantly.

"Of course."

"You can say no, okay?" I nodded my head. "Do you think I could just see them before we go? I won't wake them up; I just want to see them." The pain and longing in her voice was startling.

"Yes." I said and motioned for her to follow me. We both walked up the stairs and we stopped in Peyton's room first because hers was closest to the stairs. The humidifier was on, and she was snoring in her sleep.

"She is sick?" Bella whispered while walking straight for Peyton's crib. Silent tears were falling from her eyes as soon as she approached the edge of the crib and had Peyton in her view.

"Yeah, she just has a cold though." I whispered. She nodded her head and put her shaking hand out to run it through Peyton's hair gently. Peyton didn't stir, but only sighed in her sleep.

"Her hair is longer." Bella commented. "She is so beautiful." She said and wiped her tears with the hand that wasn't touching Peyton. She leaned forward over the railing and placed a small kiss on the side of Peyton's head. "I love you." She whispered to her. I could tell she in no way wanted to leave the room, but she took her hand away from her and walked past me out the door without looking back. I am sure she wouldn't have been able to leave if she did. I followed her out and she was walking to Liam's room.

A small sob left her throat when she saw him. He was sleeping like he normally does; lying on his back with his hands behind his head. She walked towards him and did the same she did for Peyton. Her hands ran through his hair. "He is beginning to look more like you, bab…Edward." She whispered.

"Poor kid." I said, trying to lighten the mood.

She let out a small laugh. "Shut up." She whispered. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead multiple times. "I love you, my handsome boy. I will be back. I promise."

* * *

I pulled up to the front of the airport. We were silent the whole way there; the only time I talked was when I asked if she had any luggage. She didn't because she didn't have anything to bring. I guess this place she was going to was going to help her out. I put the car in park and got out. I walked over to her side of the car and she was already out and shutting the door. I walked in front of her and she looked up at me.

"Thank you for the ride." She said. "You didn't have to do that."

"I am glad I was able to." She dropped her head and she was wringing her hands in front of her. "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "I am just really scared." She said and then she looked up at me. "And this is the first time I am ever going to be this far away from you…that scares me more than the actual rehab part."

I couldn't contain myself anymore, and I don't think that it is wrong that I did. I took another step towards her and took her face in my hands. I made her look at me. "I am so happy you are going to be doing this, Bella. You have absolutely no idea."

A tear fell from her eye and I wiped it away. "I won't let you down…I promise."

And this time I really believed her. The amount of elation I felt inside of me was beyond words. Me leaving her is what made her take this step. Even though she had to go through all of the shit with Renee and Jacob, she was coming out of it with a better attitude and she was getting the help she needs. Of course there was still a possibility that she will not stick with it, but I had an abundance of faith in her.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers without even really thinking about it. The feel of her lips on mine made this moment all the more real. She put her hands on my chest and I felt them drift further up and around my neck. We kissed in front of my car for at least two minutes, and if it were up to me, I would have never stopped. She pulled away from me first, only to tighten her grip around my neck and hug me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her middle, and held her as close to me as I could. She may be getting help, but I also won't see her for a while.

"I really hope you will stay with this, Bella." I mumbled into her hair.

"I am going to try my best. I know what will happen if I don't." I nodded my head. The separation was still in effect if she comes back to us not helped. "Can I tell you something?" She asked against my neck.

"Go ahead."

"I love you so much." She said and I held onto her tighter and kissed the side of her head. "You don't have to say it back. I know that me holding you right now is more than you should be allowing me, and I appreciate it. But I couldn't leave without telling you how much I love you, baby."

"Prove it to me then, love." I told her. She nodded her head and let go of me. I stepped away from her, and she began to walk to the airport doors. "Wait, Bella!"

She turned around instantly. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

Her smile was breathtaking, and the hope inside me felt like it would burst. I was so happy this was happening. This was all great, but now that one problem was in the middle of being solved, another problem has arisen.

When will it ever end?

* * *

**So there you have it! Bella is going to get help…but what about this Renee and Jacob business? I will try and have the next chapter out by Monday, but it all depends on how much time I have! **

**Just to let you all know, me and my FFBFF are collaborating on a story and we are excited about it! If you want to find out more, you can go check out our page. The penname is MonyAlexa. Or you can come follow us on Twitter! (Blueking141 and AlexaUrce) I follow back…just saying! **

**Thanks to all who read last chapter, and to those who reviewed. You are all great and I appreciate everything! **

**Review please! **


	31. Chapter 30: Protection

**Chapter 30: Protection  
August 2, 2010**

EPOV

"Ow, ow, ow!" Peyton said and moved her head away from me.

"Peyton come on! I am being as gentle as I can."

"But it hurts!"

"Well that is what you get when you won't let me brush it when you get out of the bath at night." I told her. She was a starting a phase where she doesn't want anyone at all to touch her hair. Don't ask me where she got it from, but it just happened randomly one day. Like last night after her bath, I went to brush her hair and she freaked out. I ended up having to chase her around the house before I just gave up. But today we were going out, and I didn't want to bring her out with her hair looking like a rat's nest.

"Okay you can try again."

"Thank you for your permission." I said sarcastically. She didn't laugh though, and I continued to brush her hair as gently as I could. I was no expert on hair. I am a guy; I wish Bella was here to do this shit. Even though my hair is kind of long, all I have to is run a comb through it and it is done. There is no way in hell I would sit in front of the mirror every morning with hair gel and mousse to try and get it looking all perfect. Bella liked my hair all natural so I guess it didn't look that bad.

"Ow!" Peyton yelped.

"Peyton Serenity Cullen. Do you want to do this yourself?"

"I don't want to do it at all!"

"So you want to leave the house with your hair all messy and crazy?"

"No." She mumbled.

"Alright, so just tough it out for a minute, I am almost done." I continued brushing her hair, and she sucked her teeth every once in a while and her shoulders were tense, but soon I had all of the knots out. "I am going to put it in a pony tail, alright honey?"

"Okay." She said. A pony tail seemed like the right route to take so it will not be even more knotted later for being down. I really suck at putting pony tails in, but I manage. It's not like anything I do will make her look any less cuter. She could have the most extreme bouffant going on and people would still aw at her.

I finished putting the pink elastic in. "Done." I said and she jumped up from my lap.

"Thank you, Daddy!" She kissed my cheek and then ran out of the room. There was a knock at the door. What now?

I opened the door already knowing who it was. "What's up, Steven?" I asked.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked with his Chicago accent.

I looked down at him. He was pretty short...well I was pretty tall, so that had something to do with it as well. "Because you are the only one who knocks on my door at eight in the morning."

"I feel special." He said with a smile and I laughed. "Anyways, let's get professional. There has been no sightings of Mr. and Mrs. Horrible so don't freak out."

"Okay, that is good to know."

"Can I come in, dude? It is fucking hot out here."

I opened the door and let him come in. "No swearing please, I don't need my two year old hearing you."

He waved me off. "Peyts is going to be three really soon." He said like that made it okay.

"Last time I checked it wasn't okay for three year olds to be saying fuck either." I said.

"Eeee…Daddy said a bad word!" Peyton said as she walked into the room. That of course got Steven laughing his ass off. Why couldn't Adrian assign me a better undercover cop?

"Put 'er there short stuff." Steven said and held his hand out to Peyton to give her a high-five. Her little hand slapped against his palm and she giggled.

"Do you need something, baby?" I asked her.

"Nope. I just wanted to say hi to Stevie!" She said and hugged his leg. Peyton didn't know why Steven was around as much as he was for. To her, he was just my new friend that came over practically every day. I got lucky and Steven was a good guy, and I did consider him a friend, but he was here for reasons that go beyond just hanging out. Adrian, the detective Bella hired, has been helping me a lot in trying to make sure the kids are safe from Renee. He has assigned several undercover cops to be around the area at all times because we have no idea the kind of things Renee and her boyfriend are capable of. This whole thing has been scaring the shit out of me, but I did feel safe with all of these cops around. Steven was the main one, and he came over every day to keep me up to date on what has been going on. Thankfully there hasn't been anything major, and hopefully it will stay that way.

"Hello, Peyts." He said and ruffled her hair. I wanted to slap him because I did not want to have to fix her hair and have her have another fit. "Why don't you go play, I need to talk to your Dad."

"Okay!" She said and ran into the living room. I heard the TV turn on and then Steven started again.

"News is you have a new neighbor."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. Her name is Jane Booker. I have already done all of the background searches necessary for her, and she seems legit. She is 25 years old, she was engaged…"

I held my hand up to him. "I really don't need to know her whole life story, Steven."

"Well don't you want to know what she is about?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, it just feels wrong for me to know all this stuff…I haven't even met her yet."

He shook his head with his hands on his hips. "Your morals are insane, dude."

I rolled my eyes. "Well excuse me if I don't want to feel like a stalker." I said sarcastically. "You said she is okay, and that is all I need to know."

"You're no fun." He said and started heading for the door and I laughed. "Enjoy your Saturday; I am off for the day. Gonna spend it with my honey."

"Have fun." I said.

He turned around and wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "Oh I will."

I laughed at him as he walked out the door. I sort of envied him, really. He could go home and just spend the day with his wife and his little boy. I really didn't have that option, but I did have my kids, so it was alright. "Peyton! Liam! Let's go, we are going to be late!"

The three of us were meeting Karen and Nancy today for breakfast. I was very happy to be doing this because I missed Karen and her crazy self. We weren't going anywhere fancy…no we were going to McDonalds. Karen convinced me that it would be a good idea because then the kids won't be bored and can play in the play place. I am sure that place was infested with germs, so I was hesitant, but then Karen told me to get the stick out of my ass and stop being so 'stuck up loser' and let the kids have fun. I don't think letting them play over there one time will hurt.

Liam came down the stairs and was already dressed with his shoes on. "Can I bring this with me, Dad?" He asked while holding up his crossword puzzle book. I came across that one day while I was at the store and thought he would have loved it. It was for kids in his age group, and he has been pretty much glued to it these past couple of days.

"If you want to, that's fine." I told him. I would encourage anything that gets him thinking and learning. I was happy he was addicted to a crossword puzzle instead of a video game where he shoots zombies and shit.

"Thanks!" He said, and walked past me and out the door. Peyton still hadn't come out of the living room so I went in there to see what she was doing. She was standing in front of the TV with the remote in her hand.

"What are you doing, baby?" I asked as I walked beside her.

"I forgot what button to press." She said while studying the remote.

"This one." I said while pointing to the power button. She pressed the button with her little thumb and the TV turned off. She put the remote back on the coffee table and clapped her hands. I laughed at her and scooped her up in my arms and threw her over my shoulder. She laughed as I brought her all the way to the car.

I hope today will be a good day…as good as it can get without Bella.

* * *

"Karen can you help me with this one?" Liam asked as he pushed the book to her across the table. Karen looked at the book.

"You know, Liam. I am not exactly that intelligent." She said and handed it back to him. Nancy and I laughed. Liam just rolled his eyes and went back to looking at it.

"Daddy, I think I am done." Peyton said while not looking at me at all. Her eyes were on the play thing that was right in front of us. I looked down at her plastic slab. She must have had two bites of her pancake and half of her piece of sausage. I would have normally made her finish her food but it's not like this food is that healthy for her anyway.

"Okay, go ahead." I said and she jumped down from her chair and went to get her shoes off. "Keep your socks on, please." I called out to her. I looked over at Liam. "Can you go play with her bud, and keep an eye on her?"

"Sure." He said and put his book down before running over there as well. There were no kids here because it was pretty early and normal people usually don't come to McDonalds for breakfast.

"I will go play with them." Nancy said and went over with them.

"Thanks, Nancy." I said and she just gave me a smile. I turned back to Karen and she reached across the table and squeezed my arm.

"How are you doing, hot stuff?"

I chuckled. "I am hanging in there." I said. "What about you?"

"I am doing great!" She said happily. "Work is kind of boring though. It's not the same without you, boss."

"Try being a telemarketer."

She cringed. "Ugh…I feel so bad. I have been trying to talk with Mitchell to try and get you back."

"Really?" I asked, touched that she would even do that for me.

"Well duh." She said and I smiled. "I honestly think he was stupid to fire you. You were their biggest asset."

I shrugged. "What's done is done. There is nothing I can do about it now. But enough about that…how are things with Nancy?"

"Flipping great." She said and I laughed. "We are actually thinking about adoption."

I took a sip of Peyton's orange juice and cringed at the pulpy disgustingness of it. "Really? That is great!"

"Yeah, we are already set up with an adoption agent."

"So are you thinking newborn or older?"

"Older for sure." She said while nodding her head. "We aren't as young and pretty as you are, Edward."

I laughed. "What does being pretty have to do with anything?"

"Nothing I was just throwing that out there. You know how much I want you, pretty boy."

I was trying to hold in my laugh to go along with the charade that I missed so much. I wasn't able to though and I just started laughing. She laughed with me. "Thanks, Karen. I needed that."

She stopped laughing and her face looked concerned. "You mean to tell me you haven't been laughing a lot?"

"No, I do. It's just…I don't know." I said and started playing around with Peyton's pancakes with her fork.

"She is in rehab right?" She asked and I nodded my head. "Well that is great then, Edward."

"Yeah I know…but she is also all the way in Florida."

She sighed. "I know. You must be missing her a lot." I nodded my head. "Don't you have any contact with her at all?"

I shook my head. "Nope. They don't allow that until after the first three months. Which I think is fucking stupid. I don't even get updates on how she is doing or anything." I said getting agitated as I was talking about it. I don't understand what the big fucking deal is for me to be able to talk to her. I asked Julia and she said that Bella hearing from me will only make her more homesick and want to leave. Which I guess made sense, but in the mean time I was going crazy having no idea if she is doing good in rehab, how she is feeling, and all of that.

"I wish I could say something to make you feel better, but I don't think there is anything." She said. "But I will tell you that I believe this will all be worth it once she is better."

"If she gets better."

"Oh, Edward, shut up." She said and I looked at her in shock. "Stop with this Debbie Downer bullshit you got going on."

"Karen…"

"No, you listen, Edward. If you sit here doubting everything, you will have a miserable life. You have two really great kids over there who are also missing out on their mother. Don't take their father away from them even though you are standing in the same room." She said forcefully and I just sat there taking all she was saying in. "Answer something for me. If you sit at home and mope and are like 'oh my God, Bella will never get better', what do you think the kids will think?"

"I don't sit there telling them she will never get better."

"But they can tell you are not yourself! Kids pick up on those things, Edward."

"The kids are fine."

"I am going to kick you in the ball sack in two seconds, bucko." She said and I smiled at her craziness. "I have been watching you throughout the breakfast. You put on a good mask, but even I could tell you really aren't all there."

"Look, I'm trying, alright?"

"Try harder." She said bluntly. "Think about Bella, a sober Bella, do you think she would want you all moping around and making the kids worried about you?"

"No."

"Exactly! So suck it up butter cup, and put a smile on that sexy face!" I almost choked on the pulpy orange juice as a laugh burst out of me. I thought it was going to come out of my nose, but thankfully that wasn't the case. I was able to swallow it down without a problem and I continued laughing. Karen was laughing with me, and the tears were falling out of my eyes. I dropped my head on top of my arm on the table and tried to not be so loud. I looked up when I felt a finger poke my head. I lifted my head and saw Liam and Peyton looking at me questioningly with big smiles on their face.

"What's so funny, Dad?" Liam asked.

I took a deep breath. "Karen is crazy." I said because it was true. Peyton reached out to me and I picked her up to put her on my lap. She turned around and hugged me around the neck. Liam went back to sit on his chair beside me. "Don't you guys want to go play?" I asked them. There was a huge play thing to my right and my two kids were sitting at the table? There was something wrong with this picture.

"No, we will stay here with you, Dad." Liam said and put his hand on my back. I looked at him, then at Peyton who had a smile on her face as her head was resting on my chest. I then looked over at Karen and she gave me a pointed look and it was then that I got it. They wanted to be around me because I was happy in that moment.

Karen was right.

* * *

We were all back at my house and Nancy and Karen were coloring with Peyton in the living room. I was in the kitchen making us a healthy lunch that I learned how to make from Sue. Liam was at the table with his crossword puzzle of course. I was picking apart some chicken that I made for some chicken salad sandwiches.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, bud?" I said while continuing my shredding of the chicken. This was the worst part, it felt like it dragged.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked and I looked up at him. He seemed very serious and I was afraid something was wrong or something.

"Of course you can." He closed his book and waited a second before answering me.

"Did you ever play baseball?" He asked. I stopped picking apart the chicken and looked at him. What a random question.

"Yeah I did when I was younger with Uncle Emmett."

"Did you ever play for a team?"

I shook my head. "No, I wasn't that good." I said with a small laugh, and he just gave me a little half smile. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

I finished shredding the chicken so I wiped my hands and walked over to him. I sat down beside him. "I think you do know."

He sighed. "Can I sign up to play baseball?" He asked but then started talking again fast. "You can say no but if you want to you have to sign up by Monday and I meant to ask you earlier but I was scared and…"

"Wait." I said and put my hand up. "You were scared?" Why the hell would he have been scared to ask me something like that? I think the only thing Liam has to be scared of telling me is if he gets a girl pregnant before he finishes high school. Peyton should be afraid to tell me she has a boyfriend. Yeah, let's not think of that.

"Well yeah because I know you always say we don't really have much money a lot of the time. It costs money."

I shook my head. "That is nothing you have to worry about, Liam. Sure I might not be able to buy you as much toys as usual, but if you want to do something like this that you will enjoy, I have no problem letting you."

"But then what if we get really poor?"

I laughed and pulled him into my side. "We will not be very poor. Money isn't something you have to think about right now, Liam. So don't ever be scared to ask me something just because of money, okay?"

"Okay." He said with a smile. I kissed his forehead before getting up again to work on my lunch. I put the pieces of celery into the bowl of chicken along with the mayonnaise and started mixing. "Do you think I will be good?" He asked.

"I think you will be great! You just have to practice a lot."

"I know, I will." I finished making the chicken salad, and started making the sandwiches for everyone. I called the girls into the kitchen and we all started eating. We were having a good time, and Karen kept us laughing throughout. I really miss the girl. We were in the middle of eating when there was a knock at the door. I excused myself and went to answer it. I prayed it wasn't Steven with some bad news. I opened the door and thankfully it was just Charlie. But what was he doing here?

"Hey, Charlie." He actually looked a little flustered and I wondered if something was wrong.

"I need to talk to you, Edward."

"Alright, come on in then." I said and waved him in. He heard the kids and Nancy laughing in the kitchen.

"Oh shit, you have company? I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine." If Charlie needed help with something, I would do everything in my power to help him. He had been there for me through a lot, and I would do the same for him. "Why don't you just pop in and say hi, and then we can go to the other room." He nodded his head and we walked into the kitchen.

"Charlie!" Peyton said and waved her little hand at him.

Charlie waved back. "Hey, cutie."

"Karen, Nancy, this is my friend Charlie. Charlie, this is Nancy and Karen."

"Nice to meet you." He said while waving his hand at them. They both waved, and Karen said a loud hello.

"We are just going to talk alright?" I said and they all nodded their heads. Charlie and I walked into the living room together. He sat down on the couch, and I sat beside him. "What's going on?"

He took a moment before he just busted out with it. "I am going to be a grandfather!"

I was stunned for a second. "Wha…I didn't even know Seth had a girlfriend!"

"Neither did I! And neither did he apparently." I just looked at him incredulously. "It was a one night thing, I guess. She is already six months pregnant and she just told him!"

"Wow." I said and he groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Is he going to try and make it work with the girl?"

"I don't know, all I know is that this wasn't supposed to happen."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He looked up at me like I was absolutely insane. "I can't be a grandfather! I am too young for this." He looked up at me hoping for me to agree with him but… "Don't even say it, man."

"You are in your fifties, Charlie."

"I said not to say it!" He said and I laughed.

"Charlie, I don't think this is something to freak out about. Your kid is an adult. You had to know grandkids were coming."

He sighed. "Yeah I guess so."

I laughed and slapped him on the back. "Congratulations, grandpa." I said and he punched me in the stomach. There was another knock at the door. Fuck, I'm popular today. "Hold on." I said and got up from the couch. He got up with me and then walked with me to the door, but he went into the kitchen. I opened the door and there was a woman there. She was younger than me, that I could tell. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and she was pretty short. Well she was shorter than me, and a little taller than Bella. "Uh…hi." I said.

"Hello! I know this may be weird, but I just moved in next door…"

"Oh! Oh yeah I forgot someone was moving in there."

She laughed, but it sounded kind of fake. Oh here we go. "Well here I am!" I smiled because I didn't want to be rude, but I really was not in the mood for flirty neighbors. "Um…I'm Jane." She said and held out her hand to me.

"I'm Edward." I shook her hand and then crossed my arms across my chest, making sure my wedding ring was showing.

"That's a cool name." Edward really isn't that cool of a name. "Now I don't want to sound like a creeper, but I saw two little kids with you…you have kids?"

"Yeah, I have two."

"Single father?" She asked hopefully.

"Oh no." I said and showed her my wedding ring. "No, my wife is away right now though."

"Oh." She said, obviously disappointed. Sorry, lady. "Well if you ever need a babysitter, just let me know. I am actually the new teacher at the elementary school, so I will be home from 3:30 on if you ever need help. Plus I am a teacher so I know all of the CPR and stuff. They would be safe with me."

"Sure…um I will let you know when I need some help."

"Great! Well I will just be next door!"

"Okay, nice to meet you."

"You too!" She said and then walked down the stairs of the porch. I was about to close the door when she called my name.

"Yeah?" She walked back up the stairs.

"I would also be able to help you with other things…you know…if you need some attention. Attention your absent wife can't give you…"

Oh gag me. "I am afraid that won't be necessary. Goodbye." I said it rudely this time, but I'm sorry, that is just rude. What kind of person would openly offer sex to a married man? Some people are so insane it scares me. I shut the door without waiting for her goodbye. I leaned back on the closed door. I know Bella will be coming back eventually but it was times like these that I really, really wished she was here. She would have undoubtedly said something; she always does…

_~Flashback~_

_**19 Years Old**_

_Edward kissed Bella's forehead before starting to get out of bed. Bella wasn't having any of that though when she grabbed his hand when he was close to getting off the bed. She yanked on his arm, causing him to fall back onto the bed with a laugh. Bella crawled on top of him and wrapped her arms and legs around him. _

"_You can't go." She mumbled against his chest. _

"_I have to go, love. I have a big test tomorrow so I need to get together with my study group." _

_She lifted her head off of his chest and then kissed it. She moved up a little so her face was over his. "I could help you study." She said and kissed him on the lips. _

"_No, you would just distract me." He said and ran his hands up and down her sides. Her t-shirt started to ride up, and he put his hands beneath it to run his hands over her bare skin. _

_She rolled her eye and then pouted. "But today is my day off! What am I going to do all day without you?" _

"_You can do what women are supposed to do. Clean my house, do my laundry, and cook me food for when I get home." Bella growled and bit his shoulder lightly. "Ow! Stop it, babe. I was just kidding." He said while pushing her head to the side and laughing. _

"_Well then don't say stuff like that, asshole." She kissed him despite the comment she made. "I ain't cooking you shit." _

"_Ain't, ain't a word." _

_Bella rolled off of Edward's chest. "You can go now. You and your smart college ass." She said and laid down on her side facing away from him. Edward laughed and leaned over her. _

_He kissed her cheek. "I love you." He kissed her cheek again and rubbing her side. "I will be home a little after lunch." He said and kissed her again. She rolled onto her back so he was now leaned over her. _

_She put her hands to either side of his face and pulled him down for another kiss. "Can you please stop being so irresistible?" _

_He laughed and kissed her before getting off of her, and off the bed. "I can't help it." He said cockily and Bella threw a pillow at him as he started putting his clothes on. "So you want to go out for dinner or something tonight?" He asked as he put his black t-shirt over his head. _

_Bella sat up in the bed. "Are you asking me on a date?" _

_He laughed. "Call it what you want, love." _

"_Oh that's romantic." Bella said sarcastically and rolled her eyes. _

_He smiled and finishing tying up his sneakers. "We will talk more about it later. In the mean time, I need to get to the library." He walked back over to her and gave her a peck on the lips. _

"_Love you, baby. Don't fry your brain with all that thinking."_

_He kissed her one last time with a smile. "Don't you worry about that." _

* * *

_Bella walked up the pathway to the front door of the library with the brown paper bag in her hand. Edward called to tell her he will probably be a little later than he thought because his study group members all showed up late. Bella felt bad he would be stuck at a library for so long and she was determined to get him away from studying just to eat lunch with her. She ended up doing exactly what, according to Edward, women should do. She cleaned the house, did the dishes, and cleaned his clothes. _

_She walked into the library and went to find Edward. She was sure there would be no missing him since he would be with a big group of people. The library actually seemed pretty empty, and Bella wondered if everyone went to go get some lunch and she missed Edward. She continued walking anyway and she heard what sounded like a girl's flirtatious laugh. She turned to the sound and her heart dropped when she seem who that flirtatious laugh was being directed at. _

_Bella looked on as a blonde beauty was bent over the two person table with a book between her and Edward. Edward was laughing with her. He wasn't looking at her because he was writing, but he was laughing. Bella took a deep breath in, and turned around before either Edward or the girl could see her. She walked out of the library breathing heavy and trying to catch the breath that was taken from her lungs when she saw her boyfriend with another girl looking very comfortable. She went outside to catch her breath for a minute and have a clear head. Her self-esteem was taking a huge hit. _

_She sat down on a bench outside of the library and waited for all sense to come back. She thought of Edward that morning and how he looked at her, touched her, kissed her, and talked to her. _Edward loves me _she thought. She knew how loyal he was and how great of a man he was. She knew there was no way he would do that to her._

_So with that thought in mind, she walked back into the library with her head held high, ready to go have lunch with her boyfriend. When she got inside though, she could tell Edward wasn't there anymore. His books were still there with his bag, so she figured he was still around. The girl was still there though, and Bella decided to just go up to her and ask her where he was. She had that right…he was HER boyfriend. _

_Bella walked up to the table and the blonde looked up. "Uh…hello?" She said rudely. Her face wasn't as cheerful looking as it was when she was with Edward. _

"_Hi, um…the guy who was sitting over here…" _

"_My boyfriend?" She asked and Bella didn't know what to say. She said it like it was so natural. _

"_No…he's my boyfriend." Bella said._

_The girl started laughing. "Oh my God, are you some kind of stalker fan of one of the hottest guy on campus? How old are you? Do you even go to school? I'm sorry but he is most definitely taken." _

"_You are right, he is taken." Bella said, getting mad. "He is mine." _

_She started laughing again. Her laugh was one of someone who obviously thinks they are better than everyone else. "Well he just went to get both of us some lunch because he cares about me." _

_Bella scoffed. "Oh please. He was just being nice because that is how he is. I would know because he is my boyfriend you idiot." _

_The girl got up now, getting angrier by the second. "Listen here, you better back off of him because I know he likes me and if you get in the way so help me God…" _

_Bella took a step closer to her. "No you listen here, bitch. Edward is my boyfriend and I swear to God if you try hitting on him or making psychotic claims that he is your boyfriend, I will mess you up." _

_The girl finally snapped and shoved Bella on the shoulders. Bella pushed back and a woman screamed as she ran over to them to try and break up the fight. Bella was surprised no one came earlier. The lady pulled on the blonde's shoulders. Bella tried to at least get a hit to the face but then someone was holding her back. She didn't even have to look back to know it was Edward. _

"_Bella, stop." He said as she was fighting against him to get at the girl. Bella calmed down because she didn't want to keep fighting against Edward and potentially hurting him. She stopped fighting and put her arm around Edward's waist. "What the hell is going on?" A confused Edward asked. _

"_Nothing." Bella said and wrapped her arm tighter around his waist while looking at the girl pointedly. "Let's go home, baby." She said while looking up at him. Edward didn't know the details of what went on, but he knew he didn't know everything to believe what Bella says. All he saw was a woman he wasn't really that fond of about to fight the love of his life. He didn't need more convincing. Edward gathered his books and walked out with Bella's hand in his. _

_Bella was stomping ahead of him and kept a firm grip on his hand. Edward stumbled to catch up. "Bella! What the hell happened in there? Did she say something to you?" He asked worriedly. _

_Bella laughed a humorous laugh. "Not really, but your 'girlfriend' just really pissed me the fuck off." _

"_What?" Edward said and went to Bella's side and stopped her by putting his hands on her shoulders. They were only steps away from where their cars were. "Bella she…I…I don't know…Bella I love you, I…" _

_Bella stopped his rambling by taking his face in her hands and pulling his lips down to hers. Edward was shocked and flustered by the whole situation so it took him a minute to get into it, but once he did, they were sharing one of the most passionate kisses they have ever shared. Edward pulled her close to him and Bella scraped her fingernails through his hair along his scalp. Edward moaned at the feeling and lifted Bella so he didn't have to bend anymore. A loud horn sounded causing the both of them to jump and their lips to separate. They looked toward the sound and then back at each other. When their eyes met, they started laughing. _

_Edward gently lowered her to the ground and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Please don't tell me you believed her, Bella." _

_Bella sighed. "I didn't. I saw you laughing with her earlier though and I am not going to lie, I got a little jealous, but then I remembered that it was you, baby." She lifted her hands and traced her fingers along his face, a look of burning love in her eyes as she looked at him. "You love me, and you wouldn't do that to me." _

"_And you say I'm the smart one…listen to you!" He said and she laughed; a blush forming on her face. "It makes me very happy that you realize how much I love you, Bella. It makes me feel like if anything, I have done something right." _

"_You do everything right." _

"_Well let's not take it that far." He said with a chuckle. "Hey love, not that I am not delighted, but what are you doing here?" _

"_Oh I brought us some lunch, but I left it in there. Shit." _

_Edward smiled and kissed her lips. "That's fine, I guess we can go on that date now." _

"_Yeah because I think if we went in to get it, there will be two extra things in there." _

"_Hm…what would those two things be?" _

"_Probably a piece of paper with her number on it for you and a big wad of spit for me." Edward laughed and hugged her close. Bella wasn't laughing, she only had a small smile on her face and she rested her chin on his shoulder and rubbed his back. "But I got you, so all that doesn't really matter." _

_~End Flashback~_

I started heading back to the kitchen to join everyone again. They were all laughing together. Charlie was now sitting at the table with everyone and it seemed like Charlie was getting along with Karen and Nancy just fine. The only problem with the picture was my little girl. She wasn't paying attention to them and she was just swirling her carrot in the ranch dressing on her plate. I was wondering what was going on in that little head of hers, and I knew she was probably just missing Bella. It may be sad, but the kids were getting used to not having her around, but they still had their moments which were understandable. I walked over to her, and everyone else continued talking.

I squatted down so I could talk to her face to face. "Hey, baby." I said and she looked over at me and gave me a weak smile. "You okay, princess?"

She shrugged. "A little."

"You want to tell me what is bothering you?"

"I'm just a little despondent."

I quirked my eyebrow. "What? Where did you learn that word from?" I am fairly sure that not every two year old uses the word despondent.

"Liam taught me." I shook my head, of course my word nerd of a son would teach his two year old sister such random words.

"Okay, well what has you so despondent, Peyton?"

"I miss Mommy, that's all." She already knows everything I would have said to her, so I just reached my arms out to her. She lifted hers, and I picked her up. She rested her head on my shoulder and I went to walk over to my chair. Usually just holding her and letting her know that at least I am here makes it a little better. At least I hope it does. I got back in the conversation, but of course it didn't last long because the door bell rang.

Peyton seemed to be feeling better, so I told her I would be right back. She nodded and kissed my cheek. I placed her on my chair and went to get the door. I opened it and Steven was there, but he did not look in high spirits like he was earlier and my heart sunk.

"What's wrong?" I immediately asked.

"They turned themselves in." He said. "We were hoping to catch them doing something because we really do not have any kind of proof that they stole from your wife."

"So what does this mean?"

"I was there when they came in, Edward. The woman was crying hysterically and they went bubbling to the chief because she says she found out there was a warrant out for her arrest but she had no idea why. Since we had no real reason except for a report from your wife, we had to drop the warrant and let them go."

"Well doesn't my wife's report mean anything?" This all didn't make any sense. They are just going to let her go? Are you fucking kidding me?

"It does, but your wife is not in the state right now, Edward. There is nothing we can do at this point."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Steven? All of this protection and status reports? What the fuck? Was this all for nothing?" I was trying to keep my voice down so I wouldn't scare the kids, but this is all so messed up.

"Edward, we were here because we thought she was a potential threat to you and your kids. Potential, Edward. She comes in and claims innocence, and we have to give that to her. Innocent before proven guilty and we have nothing to prove that she was guilty. I am really sorry, Edward, but that is the way the system works."

"This is fucking bullshit. If I would have known that this whole protection detail would have gotten me nowhere, I wouldn't have had it in the first place." Steven looked hurt by me saying that, and I did feel bad because he really did a lot for us, and he tried his best to protect us, but for what? This was all just a waste of mine and Steven's time if that bitch doesn't get what she deserves.

"Look, I'm sorry, Edward."

"What can I do now?"

"Well now we have no reason to stick around, so I would suggest that you get a restraining order until…"

"Until? Until what Steven? Until that psycho comes into my house and harms one of my kids and I have fucking proof?" I was just plan livid at this point.

"I'm sorry, Edward. That is all we can do." He really seemed like he felt bad, and I knew it wasn't his fault and I was only taking it out on him.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Steven. I know it is not your fault, but you understand how this would make me upset right?"

"Oh of course I do, Edward. And if you want, I can still come over as a friend and I can still protect your family as best I can…I don't have to be on duty."

I stuck my hand out to him and he took it immediately and shook it. "Thank you, Steven. I would like you to come over because I consider you a friend, but you don't need to feel obligated to protect us. This is my family, and that is my job."

I have been doing alright on my own protecting my family so far…I think I can keep it up.

* * *

**Okay so this chapter was just a little less angsty than the others. We got Karen, Charlie the Grandpa, Steven as all good things. And then of course Renee is the bad one lol. Next chapter has a lot more going on though. **

**Shoutout to my FFBFF Alexa!**

**Oh and I started a new story called 'Whenever You Call'. It features a Brokenward and I am excited for this one. So please go check it out. There is only a short prologue out but I will be working on the next chapter soon. **

**Review please :]**


	32. Chapter 31: Waiting

**Chapter 31: Waiting  
September 6, 2010**

EPOV

"Daddy…Daddy…wake up!" I groaned and rolled over onto my other side to try and block the noise out. I just fell asleep what felt like minutes ago and I was not ready to wake up yet. It was still dark out. "Daddy." I felt little hands on my back.

_Wait, how the hell are there little hands on my back? _

I opened my eyes instantly and turned around in the bed. I looked over and sure enough, Peyton was on her knees on the other side of the bed. "Baby?" I said groggily. She smiled and crawled towards me. "How did you get in here, honey?"

I sat up in the bed and pulled her into my lap. "I walked, silly Daddy." She said and rested her head on my chest.

"I understand that you walked, but how did you get out of your crib?"

"I climbded out."

I gasped. "Honey! You can't do that! You could get hurt!" Knowing that she climbed out of her crib had me incredibly anxious. Just thinking of all the things that could have happened to her if she fell the wrong way and hurt herself…_ugh_. That and the fact that my baby girl was growing up had my head spinning.

"I wasn't going to fall, Daddy. I am a big girl."

I groaned and fell back onto the bed. "Don't remind me, Peyton."

"Why are you mad?" She asked. She was now sitting on top of my stomach.

"I'm not mad, baby. I am just a little sad."

Her face got sad and she patted my chest. "Why sad, Daddy?"

I sighed. "Because pretty soon you won't even need me anymore and you will move away with your own boyfriend….leaving your old man behind."

Her face crinkled up in disgust. "Yuck! I not going to have a boyfriend!"

I laughed. "You say that now, my love, but you will change your mind."

"No way, Jose. I not kissing any boy like Mommy kisses you…that is disgusting."

I was going to tell her it really wasn't, but I figured I could take this opportunity to maybe delay the time it takes for her to start liking boys. "Yeah you are right…it is. So don't ever do it okay?"

"Okay sounds good."

I smiled at her and pulled her down to my chest. I looked over at the clock and I am sure my eyes bugged out of my head. "Baby, what are you doing out of bed at five in the morning?"

"Oh yeah!" She lifted her head off of my chest and started clapping her little hands. "It's my first day of school!" She said excitedly. I laughed at her excitement. It wasn't her first day of school per say since she was only two years old, but I decided that I would start sending her to daycare. I thought it would be good because I knew she needed to start interacting more with kids her own age.

It took me a while to actually make the decision for many reasons. They first one was that I would miss her. I have been spending pretty much every morning and afternoon with her for as long as I lost my other job so it would be difficult to adjust too. Another factor was money, because daycare was expensive and I was living off one salary and what I have in savings. The last factor was Bella. It just didn't feel right making a decision like this without her, but I knew it needed to be done.

The thing that finally got me to agree was Peyton of course. She wanted so bad to be able to play with other kids her age. She absolutely loved her dance class for that reason so how could I say no?

"Yes you do go to daycare today, baby, but you didn't have to wake up until seven."

She looked confused. "When is seven?"

"Two whole hours, beautiful."

"Whoa!" She said and her eyes went wide. "Woops, sorry, Daddy."

I laughed. "It's alright, do you want to go back to sleep?"

"No."

This didn't bother me that much because I knew I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep if I wanted to. I was still suffering from some severe insomnia and I know the reason why.

I haven't heard anything from her.

"Alright well why don't we go downstairs and just watch TV or something until Liam wakes up."

"Yay!"

* * *

"Liam, do you like my outfit?" Peyton was standing beside Liam who was sitting at the kitchen table eating his cereal. He had his head resting on his hand and looked really tired. The exact opposite of his sister who was jumping around absolutely excited for her first day of 'school'.

"Yeah it's nice." He said and I smiled. He wasn't as excited for school as she was. In fact he didn't look like he was looking forward to it at all.

"Daddy you like my outfit, don't you?" She asked me. Sue bought it for her when they went to the mall together. She was wearing a plaid blue and black skirt, with a blue short sleeved shirt, with a black vest over it.

"You look very pretty in it, baby." She smiled at me and started twirling around the kitchen. I took a sip of my coffee and brought my attention to Liam. "You don't look that happy about school, bud."

He shrugged. "It's not that exciting…plus I am tired."

"That's because you were out playing baseball pretty much all day." Liam started baseball about a month ago.

They haven't had any games yet because the season hasn't started, and won't start until April, but there is a baseball camp that he goes to and gets some practice in. He was getting really good and I couldn't wait to go to his first game. It was something he became a really big fan of and wanted to do it all the time. Yesterday he was over at the camp from 10-4, and when he came home, he wanted to play with the kids around the neighborhood and he was playing until about six, came home, ate dinner, took a bath, and went to bed. It was understandable that he was tired.

"Can I play again after school?" He asked with bright eyes.

"It's fine with me if you ask Sue." Sue was coming to watch the kids while Charlie and I were at work. She was doing it for free even though I knew I would find a way to pay her.

"Alright, I will." He looked in higher spirits now that he was talking about baseball. I was glad both my kids were into something that wasn't useless. Both are physical activities that they got exercise from and they weren't obsessed with video games or the computer that would keep them inside all the time.

"Baseball is bo-ring." Peyton said. She was now sitting beside me at the table.

"You're boring." Liam retorted back.

"Nuh-uh, you are!"

"No, you!"

"No, you!"

"Alright, alright, you two cut it out. You both aren't boring, I am the boring one." They both laughed at me. "Now Liam, finish your breakfast so we can get going…we don't want to be late."

"Yes, sir." He said and saluted me. I laughed…my kids are weird but I love them.

* * *

I parked up in front of Liam and now Peyton's school. The daycare was inside of the elementary school. I turned the car off and Liam started to unbuckle his seat belt while Peyton tried to unbuckle her car seat with no such luck. Liam and I got out at the same time and I helped Peyton out of her seat. I picked her up in my arms, but she wanted to walk. I swear she needs to stop growing before I crawl into a corner and cry.

Kids in Liam's grade usually stayed in the cafeteria before the bell rang for them to go to class so he was already in front of me and ready to go. "Hey you." I called as he was a couple of feet ahead of me.

He stopped and looked back at me. "What?"

"Are you too cool to give your Dad a hug?"

He looked around the halls that were pretty much empty and sighed before walking over to me. He hugged me around my waist, and I hugged him with my free arm. "Have a good day, bud. I love you."

"Love you too, Dad." He said and went to walk away.

"Hey!" Peyton called from beside me. "What about me?"

Liam sighed, but still came back over to us and gave Peyton a hug and a kiss. "Geez…can I go now?"

"Bye, bye, Liam!" Liam waved one last time before disappearing from our view.

I walked down the halls with Peyton's little hand grasped tightly in mine. I was feeling uneasy about doing this. First of all it was because I didn't exactly want to spend pretty much the whole day without her. Second of all, this was such a big step in her life that Bella was missing out on. I took a lot of pictures of the both of them with their first day of school outfits for Bella, and I brought the camera with me to take pictures of her going into the classroom. I would save them just for Bella when she came back to us.

I found the door that we were supposed to go through, and Peyton was practically dragging me. "Come on, slow poke Daddy! I want to go to schooooooll!" She said as she was pulling on my hand.

"Hold on, baby." I said and stopped outside the room. "Let me take a picture for Mommy."

She nodded her head and smiled for the camera. I snapped the picture and looked at it on the digital screen. I smiled because my daughter was perfect.

"Kay, can we go in now?"

I sighed; I knew there was no more stalling. "Sure."

We walked inside and there were little kids all over. There were several teachers around and I brought Peyton over to the one closest to us who had grey hair. "Hello there." She said.

"Hi, I am Edward Cullen, and this is my daughter, Peyton." I was surprised that she didn't introduce herself, but when I looked down at her I saw that she was looking around in amazement at all that was around her.

The teacher laughed. "It looks like she will like it here, huh?"

I laughed and tugged on Peyton's hand to get her attention. "Baby," I said and she looked up at me. "This is one of your teachers…"

"Mrs. Clare." She finished for me. "Hello, Peyton."

"Hi, can I go play now?" She asked right away.

"Sure! I will just be over here." She said while smiling at her.

"Thank you." I said because Peyton was once again distracted at all of the fun things I am sure she will experience today. She was about to walk off but I held onto her hand. "Hold it, little one."

"But Daddy look at that art table!"

"I know but I need a kiss goodbye…I won't get to see you all day." I pouted and she smiled at me. She lifted her arms and I took her up in mine. I kissed her all over her face causing her to giggle and I soaked it up. It will only be a matter of time before she will be too cool to be seen getting kisses from her Dad. "Bye, baby." I said.

She kissed my cheek. "Bye Daddy, I love you."

"Love you more, Peyton." I gave her one more kiss on the cheek before I let her back down. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she was off. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room before I finally turned around to leave.

I believe today will be a long day.

I cursed under my breath as I scrubbed the tub. My back was fucking killing me and the cheap ass cleaning shit was doing a horrible job of getting the job done.

Cleaning was absolutely not my forte. I was really terrible when it came to domestic things like cooking and cleaning and it was actually quite sad. It was a miracle that I have been able to live without Bella this long because she did all of that stuff.

I realize now that I am forced to be the one to clean bathrooms, do laundry, and cook food that I never really appreciated all that Bella has done for me. She did it because she enjoyed doing it, and she liked to be able to do it for me. Although that wasn't the reason at first…

~_Flashback~ _

_**18 Years Old**_

"_Do you have any 9's?" Bella asked Edward. They were both sitting on the floor across from each other playing Go Fish at the coffee table. It was their second day in their new apartment and didn't get their kitchen table yet. _

"_Go fish, love." _

_She scowled at him as she picked up a card from the pile. "I think you are lying."_

_He laughed. "Why would I be lying?" _

"_So I don't completely beat your ass at Go Fish." _

_He rolled his eyes. "I have 10 matches and you have 3, baby." _

"_That don't mean shit! I could still beat you if you were not such a cheater." _

"_Uh oh, I think someone is being a sore loser." Edward taunted her. Bella reached under the table and pulled at Edward's leg hair. "Ow! That was completely uncalled for, Bella!" _

"_I know, I'm sorry." She said and started rubbing his leg where she pulled the hair. _

"_You better be." He said teasingly and she huffed and pinched his leg this time. "Ow! Stop abusing me, woman!" _

"_I love you." She said innocently and started batting her eyelashes at him. _

_He rolled his eyes. "I am so whipped; it is actually pretty sad." _

"_Oh don't say that, babe. You are still manly and stuff." _

_Edward took a sip of his soda and then burped loudly. "Yup, I know." _

_Bella rolled her eyes. "That wasn't manly, that was disgusting." _

_Edward chuckled. "Sorry, love." _

_She leaned over the table and kissed him. "Your turn." _

_They continued playing Go Fish until Edward got a phone call. _

"_Hello…right now?" He was silent as he waited for an answer. "Uh…yeah sure I will be there in about 10 minutes." He hung up the phone and started to get up. "I have to go, Bella." _

"_Where are you going?" They were supposed to spend the whole day together because it was their first full day in their apartment. _

"_Emmett needs me to help him move." He said as he started putting his sneakers on. _

"_Oh." Bella said in a disappointed tone. "Okay." _

_Edward sighed and walked over to her. He put his hand out to her, and then pulled her up so she was standing before him. Her wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her lips. "I'm sorry, I know we were supposed to spend today together but he helped us move so…" _

_She kissed him to get him to stop talking. "It's okay, babe. I will still be here when you get back." _

_He smiled wide and kissed the top of her head. "Promise?" _

"_Where else am I going to go, silly man?" _

"_I don't mean just today, promise you will always be there waiting for me?" _

_Bella smiled at him fondly, but chose that moment to tease him. "You getting all cheesy on me, Cullen?" _

_He laughed. "So what if I am, we already established that I am whipped." _

"_But still manly, don't forget the manly part." _

_He smiled. "Of course."He kissed her forehead. "You still didn't answer my question." _

"_And nor will I ever answer your question." _

_Edward looked at her quizzically. "Why not?" _

"_Because it was so stupid. The answer is quite obvious, Edward." _

_Edward smiled. "So I take that as a yes…" _

_Bella laughed and smacked his chest. "Yes it's a yes you frustrating man!" _

"_Good to hear." He leaned forward and kissed her again. "I will be home as soon as I can." And with one final kiss, he left._

_Edward didn't end up going back home until later that night. There were a lot of things going into Emmett and Rosalie's new home. It was a big home so they bought a lot of things to go inside of it. Edward was forced to help carry in couches after couches and a huge TV. He also had to bring in the boxes filled with all of Rose's beauty products and clothes because Emmett didn't want to make Rose lift a finger. Edward realized he wasn't as whipped as he thought…apparently his brother was worse. _

_Edward stopped at Subway to get him and Bella something for dinner. He wanted to get her something better, or maybe even go out to eat, but he didn't have that kind of money, so Subway would have to do. He knew Bella would appreciate it because she was not high maintenance as oh say, Rosalie. _

_Edward parked his car in front of the apartment building and was happy to be home. Their home wasn't that big or even that good looking on the outside, but Bella was inside and that made Edward more anxious to go in there. He jogged up the steps and he moved faster when he heard loud noises coming from inside the apartment. He opened up the door and walked into the kitchen where he heard the noise of dishes being moved. _

_When he walked in, Bella was at the sink and she twirled to look at him when he entered. Edward began to worry and become confused when he saw the fearful look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Edward." She said. He noticed her hands were shaking and she just looked so scared. _

"_What are you talking about, love?" He asked her as he was taking hesitant steps towards her. She seemed to back herself into the sink even though there was no where she could go. _

"_I meant to have them done…I fell asleep…I didn't mean to. Don't get mad." _

"_Bella, what are you talking about?" Edward asked anxiously now. She was beginning to scare him. _

"_The dishes, they aren't done. Just give me five minutes, okay? I promise they will be done." She turned back to the sink and turned it back on and started scrubbing furiously. _

_Edward stood there in absolute shock taking in all that happened since he walked into the door. Then it all started forming in his head. She thought he would get mad at her if the dishes weren't done when he got home because that is what always happened when she was at home. Her mother would beat her if the dishes weren't done. _

_Edward walked towards Bella. He knew she knew he would never hurt her, but it was already ingrained in her mind that the dishes always needed to be done, or she would pay. Edward walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Bella stiffened, but Edward put his hands over hers and pried her fingers away from the plate she had in her hand. Bella relaxed a little, and Edward kissed her neck softly. _

"_I'm not her, beautiful. I love you…please stop." _

_Bella dropped the sponge she had in her hands and then broke down crying. She collapsed back onto Edward and he caught her so she wouldn't fall onto the ground. The faucet on the sink kept running but Edward didn't care about that at the moment. _

"_I got you, love." He said and he bent down to hook his arm under her legs and lifted her. She clung to him as he brought her into the living room. _

_He sat down on the couch and pulled her onto his lap. "I'm sorry, Edward." She mumbled against his neck as she held onto him for dear life. _

"_Stop saying sorry, Bella." Edward said forcefully. He didn't want to sound mad, because he wasn't, but seeing her so distraught, and realizing how deeply she was wounded by Renee had him upset. It was easy for him to pretend that she was okay because most of the time she was, but it literally only took something as small at the dishes to set her off. _

"_Edward, I'm not apologizing for the dishes. I am apologizing for being so stupid…I know you would never hurt me, baby. I don't know what happened, I…" She was unable to finish as she started crying some more and Edward held her close. _

"_Shh…it's okay, Bella." He soothed her. She started to calm down. "I don't care if you ever clean another dish in your life, love." _

_Bella choked out a small laugh. "That won't happen, Edward." _

"_I'm being honest, we can use paper plates, and cups, I mean the pans will be a little difficult but we would manage…" _

_Bella laughed and pulled his face towards hers to kiss him. "Don't yell at me, okay?" He was going to say something but she kissed him to let him know that she needed to say it. "I'm sorry for freaking out like that, I feel so stupid right now, but I was legitimately scared. I don't know what happened." _

_Now it was Edward who stopped her rambling with his mouth. Both of them relaxed immensely as they continued kissing each other softly. "You don't have to say sorry, Bella, it just freaked me out a little. I know you are still healing from what your mother did to you, and I will be here through all of that healing, I promise."_

"_I know you will." She said and traced his face with the tips of her fingers. "I love you a whole lot, Edward Cullen." _

"_Not as much as I love you, Bella Swan." Bella smiled and then started bursting out laughing. Edward didn't know what she was laughing at, but he just laughed with her. "What's so funny?" _

"_We are so cheesy sometimes." _

_He laughed and shrugged. "Well we are in love…it fucks with our brains." _

"_This is true, this is true." _

_~End Flashback~_

I stopped scrubbing for a moment to get the ache out of my back. There has to be a better way of scrubbing a tub. There probably is but I just don't know about it. Maybe I should do some research on the Internet or some shit.

I stood up and leaned back to crack my back. It cracked in multiple spots along my spine and it felt good. I jumped slightly onto each foot to get my muscles more relaxed. Once I was feeling less cramped up, I got back on my knees. As soon as I leaned forward to start scrubbing again though, the phone rang.

"Fuck off." I yelled in frustration.

I threw the sponge into the tub and got back up to my feet. I dried my hands off quickly and ran to get the phone. I would have just ignored it, but it was Peyton's first day of daycare and I was paranoid. I picked up the phone and answered it.

"Hello?" I heard someone breathing on the other end, but they didn't answer. "Hello?"

And then they started crying.

And then my heart skipped a beat.

And then my love spoke. "Edward."

"Bella?" I asked in shock that I was hearing her voice. "Bella is that you?" I asked in disbelief.

She sobbed and laughed at the same time and I wanted her in front of me so I could hold her. I knew that probably won't be for a while, but this would do for now. Just hearing her voice was enough.

"Yes it's me, baby. What other crazy person would call you and then burst out in tears?"

I smiled, but my paranoid side still came out. "Is something wrong, love?"

"No, no it's nothing like that, Edward, it's just I have been wanting to hear your voice for so long now." She sniffled.

"Same here, Bella." I sat down on the floor and leaned my back against the wall. "How are you?"

She sighed. "I am doing a lot better. I have been sober for 73 days today."

That news brought a huge smile to my face that hurt my cheeks. It was such a powerful thing hearing her say that and I let out a laugh in the joy I felt.

"That makes me so happy to hear, beautiful. Congratulations."

"Thank you." She said proudly. "But I still have a lot of time in here unfortunately."

That put a damper on my mood, but only slightly. She was getting better.

"How much longer do you think?"

"Well, I will have been in here for the initial three months in a couple of weeks, and then I will be placed in a sober house for at least a month. I don't know, they pretty much say it all depends, which drives me crazy." She sounded like she was getting angry now.

"Hey, relax, Bella." I said soothingly to her. She sounded on the verge of freaking out. "You are doing so great over there, love, if you keep at it, you will be out of there in no time."

And now she sounded broken as she started crying some more. "I know but it's so hard being so far away from you and the kids. Are they there? Please tell me they are…"

"They started school today, love."

I heard her sob softly, and I gave her time to get herself back together. "School? Peyton is in school?"

"Well not school exactly, I started her in daycare over at Liam's school." I felt bad saying these things to her. Maybe I shouldn't, but I did. I was pretty much telling her how I was making decisions about the kids without her. It wasn't like I wanted to, but I needed to. Apparently my worrying was for nothing though because the conversation was easy after we started talking about Liam and Peyton.

"How did she like it? Did she cry?" Bella asked anxiously. I could hear the longing in her voice to hear any little piece of information on how the kids were doing and I wanted to tell her as much as I could.

I smiled. "Nope, no tears were shed, thank God."

Bella laughed. "I could just imagine you never leaving the room if she started crying."

"Oh no, I would have left the room, just with her in my arms."

She laughed again and the sound was beautiful to my aching ears. "She liked it?"

"Well today is her first day, so I don't know the details, but she has been excited for weeks now. She woke me up at five this morning!"

Bella started laughing wholeheartedly. "She is so adorable. I miss her so much."

"She misses you too, baby. Liam too of course."

"My boy." She said softly. "How is he?"

"He is amazing, Bella. I got him a crossword puzzle book a little while ago, and he is obsessed with it. I have had to buy him two more because he finishes them so fast."

"He is so smart, just like you, baby."

"Nah, he is smart because of the both of us." I told her because it was true. "He is very athletic though, which is not like me at all."

"He's athletic? What is he doing?"

"He started playing baseball and he is so good at it, Bella."

"He is?" She asked excitedly. "Wow! I can't wait to see him! I can't believe…what…hold on, baby." She said and then I could hear her speaking to someone in a low voice. I couldn't make out what she was saying, so I just waited. I heard the crackling of the phone, and then her voice. "I have to go, Edward."

"What? You just got on!"

Her voice wasn't as excited as it was before and I felt bad for my mini hissy fit. "I know, but I was lucky enough to get the phone call in the first place. I got it as an award for good behavior."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Okay…but what about Liam and Peyton? Can you at least ask for another phone call so you can talk to your own children?"

"I can try hold on…Peggy…" I couldn't hear much after that until she came back. "I can't call back later, because I have a full schedule today, but I can call your cell and leave a message? Then you can have them listen for me? Please?"

"Of course, Bella." I knew the kids would be so happy to hear from her, but was a little worried when they realize they can't talk to her.

"Thank you, baby. I have to go now."

I sighed. I felt like as soon as I hung up the phone, the hole in my heart would only be more painful and it scared me. "Alright, well stay strong Bella, and keep it up because you are doing amazing, love."

I heard her try and stifle her sobs, and I could picture her with her hand over her mouth. "I will try my best, and I will make it back home to you all as myself, I promise."

"I believe you, Bella." And I did. If she has made it this far without any contact with us at all, and remained as strong as she has been, I truly believed she could get through it.

"Good. I love you, baby. Make sure to give Liam and Peyton a big kiss for me, and tell them their Mommy misses them like crazy and loves them to pieces."

"I will, but you will be able to tell them yourself in your message."

"That's true, but still, there is never enough love that can be given to them."

I laughed. "I agree." Hanging up was going to be the hardest thing, but I knew it had to be done. "Call me back as soon as you can. I love you."

"Love you more, baby. Bye." I could tell she also didn't want to hang up.

"Bye, love." She hung up first, and then I did.

I dropped the phone onto the floor and rested my elbows on my knees. I ran both of my hands through my hair and took a deep breath to contain my emotions. My chest was hurting but I was just waiting for it to pass; hoping would be the better word.

As I was taking breaths, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I jumped and scrambled to take it out of my pocket. I stared at it as 'Unknown' was displayed on the screen. I was so tempted to answer the phone just to hear her voice again, but I knew I couldn't because if I answered it, Bella wouldn't be able to tell the kids what she wanted to say. I couldn't rob them of some form of contact with their mother.

Soon it stopped vibrating, and 'New Voicemail' was now displayed on the screen. I decided not to listen to it until Liam and Peyton heard it. That message was for them, and they will be the first to hear it. It was only fair. I put the phone back in my pocket and found myself unable to get up from the ground.

So I just sat there…I sat there and waited. _For what?_ I wasn't entirely sure. But waiting was something I have been doing and will be doing for a while.

* * *

I walked with a new pep in my step down the hall of the school. Peyton got out 10 minutes earlier than Liam and I actually had to go to the classroom to get her. There were already parents inside when I walked in and it was a little crowded. I looked around and felt a little bad because I was late. Actually I was on time, but everyone else was early. I maneuvered my way around all of parents hugging their kids and their kids talking their ears off to find my kid.

It didn't take me long and she was standing off near the corner with her head down playing with her fingers. She was waiting for me patiently. I smiled and walked towards her. She must have seen me coming because she looked up and her face broke out into a smile. I didn't have to walk far before she was running over to me.

"Daddy!" She said loudly. I laughed and picked her up.

"Hey, baby! How was your first day?"

"It was so much fun, Daddy! I made a friend!" She turned around and I turned so she didn't have to strain her neck. She was searching the room. "Oh she's right there! Morgan! Morgan, over here!" She called.

I didn't know who she was talking about until I saw a little girl with red hair and pig-tails walk over to us with each of her parent's hand in hers, dragging them with her. I knew right then that the little girl got the red hair from her father, she actually looked more like her father than the mother who had jet black hair and brown eyes.

"Hi, Peyton! Mommy and Daddy, this is my friend Peyton." She introduced them. "Peyton, this is my Mommy and Daddy!"

I smiled at my little girl when she reached over in my arms with her hand held out.

"Nice to meet you both." She said formally. I would have to ask her where she learned that later. Both parents said hi to her. "This is my Daddy!" She said. I shook the parent's hands and little Morgan.

"Hey, Peyton?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah?"

"Where is your Mommy? Do you have one?"

My heart dropped and Morgan's parents both gasped at their daughter's question. I looked over at Peyton and I saw that she was biting on her quivering bottom lip. Her watery eyes met with mine and then she dropped her head on my shoulder. I shifted her so I could hold her while her arms were around my neck, and her head on my shoulder.

"I am so sorry…" The father said.

"No, it's fine." I said.

I only meant it a little bit. I didn't want to be mad at the little girl because she obviously doesn't know better, but my baby girl was on the verge of tears. "Peyton's Mommy is just not here right now." I said to the little girl. She nodded her head, and looked like she was confused. Both parents apologized again before leaving. I kissed the side of Peyton's head. "You ready to go, baby?"

She clung on tighter to my neck and nodded her head. I checked in with the teachers to let them know I had her, and then we went back to the car to wait for Liam. I put her in the car and she had an emotionless face on. I kissed her face multiple times as I was buckling her in. "You okay, Peyton?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just missing Mommy."

"I know, honey. Mommy will be back soon, alright?" She nodded her head and I kissed her forehead before getting into the driver's seat. We were both silent as we waited for Liam. I knew when she was ready; she would start talking to me.

While we were waiting, my phone started ringing. I took it out and saw that it was Sue.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Edward! How are you doing?"

"Alright, and yourself?"

"Spectacular!" Whoa, someone was happy today. "Quick question."

"Shoot."

"Is it alright if I bring a friend tonight when I babysit the little ones?"

"Uh…sure. Do you mind if I meet them first though?" I couldn't have absolute strangers in my house with my kids. I trusted Sue obviously, but I needed to scope them out myself.

"Oh you already met them, Edward."

"Alright, well who is it?"

"Seth!"

"Seth? May I ask why?"

She laughed. "Well I don't know if you know, but my son over here is going to be a Daddy soon, and he needs some practice."

I laughed. "Alright, that's fine."

"Great! See you in a bit!"

"Bye, Sue." I hung up the phone.

"Was that Sue?" Peyton asked. I could already see kids starting to come out of the school and I couldn't wait for Liam to come out so I could let them listen to Bella's message.

"Yeah, Seth is going to be coming with her tonight."

"Yay!" She said excitedly. Both my kids really looked up to Seth and thought he was the coolest. I looked over at the door of the back seat as it opened and Liam climbed in.

"Hey, guys." He said with a smile on.

"Hey, bud, have a good first day back?"

"Yeah it was good!"

I started pulling out of my spot to head home. "Well I am glad you both had good days. I think I have something that can make it a little better." Both of them gasped and then started firing off questions. "Hey, hey, hey. Just wait till we get home. It is a surprise."

The rest of the drive home was them saying their theories on what the surprise would be. They thought of mostly objects like a new stereo, TV, dog, swimming pool, pretty much anything they felt was surprise worthy. Little did they know…

Once we were inside the house, they didn't even run off to do their own things and they just huddled around me.

"Come on, Dad!" Liam said impatiently. "What is it?"

"Yeah, Daddy! I want our surprise!" Peyton said.

"Come on in the living room." They obeyed me instantly and we all went into the living room. I had them sit down on the couch and I sat on the coffee table in front of them. I reached in my pocket and took my phone out. "Here it is."

They both got the same confused look on their face that resembled Bella. "You're giving us your phone?" Liam asked.

"I'm too young for a phone, Daddy." Peyton added.

I laughed. "No, not the phone. Give me a second." I called my voice-mail and played the message.

_"Hello my babies." _Bella's voice started. I could tell that she was on the verge of tears and was trying to hold it together for the message.

I looked up at Liam and Peyton and saw the look of astonishment and happiness in their eyes.

"It's Mommy!" Peyton screamed, and Liam's eyes were on the phone.

Bella took a deep breath and continued. "_It's your Mommy here." _She chuckled a little. _"I miss the both of you sooooo much. I called your Dad earlier and he told me you were both at school, so I am leaving a message especially for you. I can't be long, but I just want to say some things." _Peyton's eyes lit up and Bella cleared her throat. "_Peyton, my little angel, I hope you had a good first day at daycare! I hope you were a good girl and you learned a lot. I can't believe how big you are getting, baby girl! And Liam," _Liam's expression didn't change, he was staring at the phone intently. "_I am so proud of you, my handsome boy. Your Dad was telling me how smart you are with your crosswords and you are playing baseball now? I bet you are the best player on the team. I can't wait to see one of your games. Just remember your Mom is always your number one fan, so don't let little girls at your school take my place."_ I smiled at her. I was loving being able to hear her voice again. That mixed with the looks of happiness on my kids face had be ecstatic.

She continued. _"I have to go now." _She said sadly. _"I will try and call so I can talk to you both more, but I have a busy day today. I promise I will be home soon, but in the mean time, make sure you are both really good for your Dad. Make sure you kiss him, hug him, and tell him you love him every day, because your Daddy is a very special person." _Both of them at that moment got up off the couch and climbed into my lap. Each of them rested their heads on my chest as they sat on each of my legs. "_I told your Dad to give you both a million kisses from me, so make sure he does that." _Liam and Peyton both laughed. _"And please remember that I love you both more than anything in the world, and I miss you both every second of every day. Daddy says you both are missing me too, and I'm sorry." _She paused for a moment. _"But do your Mommy a favor and keep your chins up and be very happy. I will be home soon. I love you both. Bye." _

I saved the message and we were all silent. We took a moment to miss the member of our family that we love but wasn't here with us. It was only a moment though until Peyton broke the silence.

"Can we listen again?"

"Yeah, Dad, can we?" Liam asked excitedly. I looked at both of them, and they looked happier than they have been, and I was glad. The message really seemed to help them.

I just hope it lasts.

* * *

"I think I am going to change my shift, Charlie." I said as he was driving us home from work. Since Sue was at the house, it was only logical for me and Charlie to just go to work together.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean with the kids in school now, I won't get to spend that much time with them."

"But what about me? I would be lost without you!" He said dramatically and I punched him lightly on the shoulder and laughed. I would have punched him harder, but he was driving.

"You'll live, old man."

"You know, I have come to accept that I am old. I mean I am going to be a grandfather after all." Charlie finally got more comfortable with the idea of being a grandfather. He was actually excited and talked about it constantly. He pulled up to my house and I was surprised to see a car in the driveway.

"Was someone else supposed to meet Sue here?" I asked Charlie.

"Not that I know of." He parked the car in front of the house and I got out of the car instantly.

I had an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach that was making me nervous. As I got closer to the house, I saw someone standing outside the door. Sue was on the inside and not letting them in. It was dark out, so I didn't notice at first. But once I did, I was running towards the door.

_Renee. _

"Oh Edward, thank God you are here." Sue said in relief. She sounded scared and I wanted to just punch Renee in the face. There was a restraining order out on her. _What the fuck was she doing here?_

The devil herself turned towards me and had a horrible smirk on her face. "Well hello, Edward."

"Get the fuck off my property right now." I snarled as I stood at the bottom of the steps of the porch. I didn't want to get to close so I wasn't tempted to do something I would regret.

"I don't think so."

I wanted to tell Sue to call the cops, but if I did, Renee would leave and I couldn't have that. I needed this bitch caught and in jail. I swear if she touches my kids, I would have no problem physically hurting her.

"What are you doing here Renee?" I asked her, but her eyes weren't on me. Her eyes were on something behind me.

"Resse?" Charlie asked as he walked from behind me. His eyes were squinted and staring at Renee.

"Hi, Charlie." She said with a smirk.

"Reese? What are you talking about, Charlie? This is Renee, Bella's mother." I said.

Charlie's mouth opened in shock and he seemed at a loss for words. Why would he call her Reese? How does Renee know him?

"Well I guess you found the mystery father." Renee said. I was so confused and so were Charlie and Sue.

We were silent trying to comprehend what was going on around us. Renee looked between the three of us, and then started to laugh. "You all don't know?"

"No we don't know. What the fuck are you talking about?" I snapped at her.

She bent over and braced her hands on her knees and started laughing a sick, horrible laugh that caused chills to run up and down my spine. After she contained herself, she spoke again.

"Oh this could get interesting."

* * *

**:O**

**I will make this short and sweet…I'm sorry.**

**I know a lot of people HATE cliffies, but they aren't so bad right? **

**Thank you to my FFBFF Alexa for pre-reading this chapter for me! Love you! Oh and she has a new story out called "Comes and Goes" and it is AMAZING! Go READ! **

**And go check out my new story "Whenever You Call"! **

**I would appreciate reviews, even if it just involves you yelling at me for leaving the chapter like this lol. **

**I will update as soon as I can! **


	33. Chapter 32: Daughters

**Chapter 32: Daughters  
September 6, 2010**

EPOV

"_Oh this could get interesting." _

I felt so out of the loop. I felt like an outsider. Renee obviously knew exactly what was going on, and she was going to drag this out for as long as she wanted. She felt in power at that moment. She strives for that feeling of power, and I knew it wouldn't end well at all.

"What are you talking about, Renee?" I snarled.

I needed to call the cops, but I had no way of doing that without letting her know I was. If she saw me take out my phone, she would leave. I wanted her to leave so bad, but I didn't want her leaving unless it was in the back of a police car.

"Wait, so your name is really Renee?" Charlie asked as he walked up next to me.

I looked over at him to see if he knew what was going on. His face was completely emotionless and his eyes were on Renee. He looked like he was calculating.

"Well duh, stupid. Didn't dumb-shit over here just say that?" She said while gesturing towards me.

Her words didn't hurt me. I was way past that. What she says about me means jack shit. It is when she starts bringing Bella or my kids into it that I get pissed off.

"Who do you think you are talking about him like that?" Charlie said. Emotion was coming into his face now. It was anger. Anger was the only emotion in anyone when Renee is around.

"Don't worry about it, Charlie." I told him.

He just held his hand up to me and continued glaring at Renee. "So _Renee_, why did you tell me your name was Reese?"

"Do you think it would be very smart of me to tell all of the guys I fuck my real name?" My mouth fell open in shock. Charlie and Renee _slept together? _"You want my social security number too?"

"What?" Sue yelled.

She walked quickly over to us and pushed Renee to the side. Renee just laughed, and Sue got right in front of Charlie.

"You cheated on me?"

Now Charlie looked incredibly hurt and panicked. "No! Darling, no! This happened before I met you."

"You better not be lying to me, Charlie!" Sue yelled.

She looked on the verge of tears, and I really didn't like seeing her that way at all. She was always so happy all the time and caring. I hoped with everything inside of me that Renee wouldn't destroy anything for Charlie and Sue. I would hate to see her destroy another person's life. Especially the life of another person I love.

"I'm not, I swear Sue! Can we talk about this later though? I have some questions for Renee."

Sue nodded her head and stepped off to his side. She wrapped her arm around his in support. He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Renee made a gagging sound. "You are all so sappy it makes me want to kill myself."

_Then do it. _

I felt horrible thinking that about someone afterwards, but in that moment, I didn't care. This woman singlehandedly ruined my life. Actually, she ruined Bella, and Bella was my life so same thing. Every time I look at Renee I get so _angry. _When I look at her, all I see is the bad she did to Bella. I remembered seeing her hit Bella, I remembered the nights I held Bella as she cried, I remembered every little moment of pain that Bella felt because of Renee and it made me sick to my stomach. The worst part of it all was that it was Bella's own mother that damaged her so badly. A mother is supposed to love their child, not hurt them constantly.

"Well Renee, what happened to you? I thought you were going to get help? I thought you had kids…" It was then that I saw the light-bulb go off in Charlie's head, and he gasped.

I still didn't understand why he was reacting the way he did, but then again, I didn't know much about his relationship with Renee. He told me he slept with a lot of women when he was younger. The only one he told me about was the one that made him realize his bad ways over 30 years ago…

_Oh shit._

"Didn't dumb-shit also tell you I have a kid?"

"Bella, Bella is your child." Charlie said in confirmation only for himself it seemed.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Shut the hell up!" I burst out. It pissed me off how easily she could talk down on her own daughter.

"Whoa, calm down pansy boy." She said and I just ignored her. "You stupid-asses still haven't figured it out?"

"Figured what out?" I asked.

I looked from Renee to Charlie and Charlie was calculating again.

"How old is Bella, Edward." Charlie asked.

"What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just tell me how old she is, Edward!" He snapped.

Sue looked just as confused as me, but she looked worried as well. She had her arm across Charlie's torso and she was rubbing her hand up and down his back.

"She will be 31 next week."

He was calculating again until realization came on his face.

"Holy shit." He walked out of Sue's arms and ran both of his hands through his hair. He leaned forward with his hands braced on his knees and took deep breaths. "Holy shit, shit, shit."

"Well at least someone has half a brain." Renee said with a laugh.

"Why didn't you fucking tell me!" Charlie all of a sudden screamed.

Sue and myself both jumped at his sudden outburst.

"I didn't think you would have cared."

"You didn't think I would have cared?" He yelled rhetorically. "That's my daughter!"

_Holy. Fucking. Shit._

"Whoa, wait a minute." I said and stood between the both of them. I put my hand on Charlie's chest to push him back a little because he looked like he was ready to pounce on Renee at any second. I looked to Renee. "Charlie is Bella's father?"

"Yes he is." Renee said.

You ever had that moment in life where everything just kind of changes? Where one small word or statement or action can change the course of everything? I experienced that in that moment. My mind was blown.

"Are you sure she is?" Charlie asked.

I looked over at him, and he was distraught. But as I looked at him, all I saw was the similarities between him and Bella. The hair, the eyes, the shape of the face, of the nose…wow. The similarities were so obvious now. It was painfully obvious really, _how couldn't I have noticed this? _

"Are you serious? Of course I am sure!" She yelled. "You all are so stupid really, the bitch looks just like him."

"You better stop talking about her like that or I swear to God…" I said between clenched teeth.

"Or what? You going to hit me?"

"Don't tempt me, Renee. I have about had it with your shit."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Charlie all of a sudden exploded.

Sue shushed him gently and held onto his hand. I couldn't even imagine what was going through his head at that moment. He lost his daughter, and now he finds out that he had another daughter out there that he didn't even know about. I can't even imagine what it would feel like to know that you had your own child out there, your own flesh and blood, and you had no idea.

"I had no obligation to tell you Charlie…plus, you were the one who ran out on me."

My mind was blown many times that night because Renee actually looked _hurt. _She looked like Charlie leaving that night really messed her up and hurt her. I didn't know she was capable of such a feeling.

"I didn't know you were pregnant, Rees…Renee! You should have told me! You have seen me so many times after that." He was getting angrier and angrier every second and he snatched his hand out of Sue's.

Sue brought both her hands to her mouth and covered it as she began to cry seeing her husband like that. He was so angry.

"You had no rights."

"No rights? I am her father!" He yelled and took slow steps toward her.

"And I am her mother!" She yelled back and I was about to put my own two cents in about that when a car screeched up to the front of my house.

It was a small beat up old red car. Whoever was in it came out as soon as the car was stopped. It was a man, a rather large man that was stalking towards us. I didn't know who it was but he headed straight for me.

He had an angry look on his chubby face as he stalked toward me. He didn't stop in front of me though, he stalked past me and bumped me on the shoulder on his way. I turned to see where he was walking and when I turned around he had his large arms wrapped around Renee. She couldn't even wrap her arms all the way around the guy. He was really big.

"Are they bothering you, hun?"

She nodded her head against his chest. "Both of them are, Gary. They won't leave me alone."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead before pulling away from her. He faced both me and Charlie. Charlie wasn't all there though. Poor guy looked like he was going to break. He was staring at the ground deep in thought.

Gary looked at Charlie, and then at me. "Is this the punk that took your daughter away from you?"

"Yes, that's him." She said and started sniffling. Now she wasn't hurt at all. She was herself now…she was faking it.

Gary lifted his finger and pointed at me. "You…you are the one who caused my baby all that pain."

"I didn't do shit to her." I said through gritted teeth.

I didn't want to provoke him too much, because I really didn't want a fight. I was already panicking thinking Peyton and Liam would be hearing what was going on out here. I knew Seth was inside with them, and they should be sleeping by now but I didn't want to take the chance.

"Oh you think you are tough, huh? You think it is cool to take other people's daughters from them?"

"She doesn't even care about Bella! What kind of lies has she been telling you?"

"I do care! She is my daughter!"

_Are you fucking kidding me? _

Gary turned to look at her. "It's okay, baby, I got this."

He turned back to me and he had a menacing look on his face. I wasn't scared of him though. I really didn't want to fight at all. I just wanted to call the cops and get the both of them off of my property so I could help my friend and go check on my kids.

"Really, I don't want to fight. I didn't do anything, alright?" I was trying to be the bigger person and get all of this he said she said shit out of the way.

I know I didn't steal Bella away from anyone, so there was no use trying to prove that to someone who wouldn't believe a word I said.

"No, it's not alright. You think you are tough messing with women, you pussy?" I just ignored him. Anything this bum said to me meant absolutely nothing.

I was all set on the no fighting rule until he spoke again. "You have to understand where I am coming from. What if I hurt someone you loved, pretty boy? What would you do then?"

My hands were clenched to my sides. _Ignore him, Edward. It isn't worth getting into a fight with this guy._

"What if I snuck into your house and took your precious little daughter away from you? I could do what I wanted with her and…"

I didn't let him finish.

That was all it took too make me snap. I growled and launched right at the bastard. As soon as I launched for him though, he struck his fist out and punched me right in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of me, but nothing would stop me from getting at the piece of shit. I recovered quickly and grabbed onto the front of his shirt. I brought them up so they were around his neck, and I pushed him back until he was up against Seth's truck that was in our driveway.

He was choking and gasping for air, but I was lost. I wasn't in my right mind at the moment. I liked seeing him gasp for air. _How dare he…how fucking dare he threaten my daughter. Is this fucker crazy? _

I felt strong hands on my arms. "Edward…let him go." It was Charlie.

"Fuck no." I said and I pressed harder against his throat. Renee was screaming behind me as her boyfriend was gasping to get oxygen in his lungs.

"Edward… you are going to kill him. Stop!" Charlie was trying hard to pry my hands away but it wasn't going to happen.

Those hands were the hands of a father protecting his daughter and nothing can stop that.

I brought his head forward and pushed it back onto the car. "I will fucking kill you. Do you hear me you piece of shit?" I screamed into his face. His face was turning a bright shade of red and tears started coming out of his eyes.

"Seth! Seth! Get out here!" Charlie yelled. I could hear my front door open and now Charlie had his arms around my entire torso behind me, and Seth was working at breaking the iron grip I had around the guy's neck.

"Get off of me." I snarled. I couldn't let him get away with what he did. That was my _daughter…my child._

"Edward, stop." Charlie said into my ear since he was right behind me. "Let go. Think about your kids. Their mother is already far away. Do you want to take their father away from them too because he is in jail?"

"I can't. My daughter, Charlie. My child." I was on the verge of losing it.

I was surprised he wasn't at least passed out yet. It was probably because Seth was prying my hands away as I got weaker. I could see him gasping for breath, and him getting the oxygen in his lungs. He doesn't deserve that fucking air.

"I know, I know, Edward." Charlie said soothingly in my ear. "Think about my daughter, son." His voice cracked. "Think about your wife. He is not worth it, Edward. I hear the cops coming now. Just let go."

"He can't get away."

"Seth won't let him." He said quickly.

"I got him, Edward." Seth said.

"Let go, Edward." Charlie said.

I could hear sirens and I could see their lights. I let go of his neck and he fell to the floor and my hands were shaking. His breathing was barely there as he gasped for the air he needed and Seth held him down to the floor. I looked to the side and saw that Sue had Renee by her arms. The cops pulled up in front of my house and I knew they had nowhere to run now. I was standing on the edge of the grass as I stared at the man on the floor in front of me. I would rather he died, but not at the expense of my kids.

Cops came running out of their cruisers and surrounded my house. "Everyone put your hands up!" One of them yelled.

I faced out to the street and noticed that pretty much all of my neighbors were out on their porches. I hadn't noticed. I lifted my hands above my head, and so did everyone else. Once we all had our hands up, some cops lowered their guns and one went to each of us.

"What is your name?" The cop asked me.

"Ed…"I cleared my throat. "Edward Cullen, sir. This is my home."

"Oh it is?" He asked and I nodded. "Mind telling me what happened?"

"Renee, that woman over there," I pointed her out. A cop already had her restrained. "She came to my home and I have a restraining order against her."

The cop nodded at the cop who was holding Renee and the cop pushed her down on the hood of the cop car and put cuffs on her. Renee surprisingly wasn't fighting. She looked emotionless. She was probably used to being arrested.

"Was anyone else here a threat to you?"

I turned instantly to Gary. "This man threatened my family and made a specific threat about my two year old daughter."

"Did you attack him?"

"Yes I did." I wasn't going to lie. "He threatened my daughter. Besides, he punched me in the stomach first."

He nodded over to the man holding down Gary and Gary was then cuffed. "And the two men and the woman? Do we need to take them in?"

I shook my head. "No. They are my family." I said while looking at Charlie.

The cop nodded. "I am just going to get those two situated. Can you just stay outside for a minute so we can get this settled?"

"Of course."

He walked away and I rubbed my hands over my tired face. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, and Charlie was looking at me with tears in his eyes.

"So we are family now, huh?"

I smiled softly. "You are my father-in-law after all."

A huge smile formed on Charlie's face and he pulled me towards him for a hug. I wrapped my arms around his back and slapped his back in the manly hug that all men do.

"Couldn't have asked for a better son-in-law." He said with a lot of emotion in his voice. He pulled away and I saw the tears already were falling. "I never thought I would have the chance at having a son-in-law."

"Well I am your son-in-law, and I am not going anywhere. I am very much in love with your daughter, Charlie."

"I know. I know." He said. He looked over to the side and saw Seth holding a crying Sue in his arms. Charlie walked towards her with his arms open and she immediately ran into them. Seth walked over to me and I extended my hand towards him. He took my hand and pulled me in for a small hug.

"Thank you, Seth. You know, for making sure the kids were inside and then preventing me from doing something I would have regretted. I hope you don't think I am crazy." I said with a humorless laugh.

"Not at all, Edward. My daughter isn't even born yet, and I would have done the same thing."

"You will be a good father Seth."

"I learn from the best." He said while looking over in Charlie's direction.

"So did you hear?"

He nodded. "I heard it all. I wanted to come out earlier, but I knew you wouldn't want the kids inside on their own."

"Yes, I appreciate it."

Seth was going to say something else, but he stopped when he looked behind me. I looked behind me as well and a cop was walking toward me. It was a different one from before.

"Edward Cullen?"

"Yes, that is me."

"We have these two in our custody, and you swear the rest as innocent?"

"Yes."

"I believe you, but we will need to still ask you a few more questions."

"That is fine. Do whatever you need."

He nodded and wrote something down on his notepad. "First off, is the child accounted for? Is the child hurt?"

I quirked my eyebrow. "Child? There was no child involved, sir, until that guy threatened my daughter."

"No, I mean the child who made the phone call to the police. He told them his name was Liam Cullen."

"Liam?" I looked over to Seth. "I thought they were sleeping!"

"They were! I swear, I didn't know, Edward! I was at the bottom of the stair the whole time!"

"Can we do that questioning later?" I asked the cop.

"We will give you a call if that is all you need from us."

"Yes, as long as they are gone. Thank you." I said quickly before I jogged towards the front door.

I opened it quickly and jogged up the steps. I gasped when I saw Liam sitting down in front of Peyton's door. He had his knees up to his chest and his hands were covering his ears while he hummed. I could see the white in his knuckles.

"Liam." I called but he didn't answer.

I don't think he knew I was there. I walked towards him and knelt down beside him. I put my hand on his shoulder and he jumped.

"Dad!" He dropped something on the floor and I saw it was the house phone.

He launched himself at me and wrapped his arms around my neck. I hissed as he pushed against my stomach where that asshole sucker punched me.

Liam pulled away. "Are you hurt? I'm sorry!" He said, panicked.

"Shh…" I said I pulled him back to my chest but he didn't hold me back. "I am fine, bud. Are you okay?"

"I was scared, Dad. I heard you yelling and other people yelling."

"Everyone is fine, bud so no more worrying, alright?" He nodded his head against my chest. "The mean people were taken away by the cops."

He lifted his head off of my chest. "I called them, you aren't mad right. I thought it was an emergency."

I smiled at my son and kissed his forehead. "I am far from mad, buddy. I am so proud of you. You did the right thing, but weren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

He shrugged. "I wasn't sleeping. I was waiting to make sure you came home."

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

He shook his head. "I just feel better going to sleep when you are here."

I smiled and pulled him back to my chest. I kissed the top of his head. I was extremely thankful for Charlie in that moment for making sure I didn't do anything to get me in jail. My kids need me.

"What were you doing in the hallway?"

"I was making sure Peyton didn't wake up and made sure no bad man go into her room."

"I love you, Liam. I am very, very, very proud of you, son."

"Love you too, Dad." I held him in the middle of the hallway for a while. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, son?"

"Is Mom going to call soon?"

I sighed. "I don't know, bud."

"I miss her a lot." I could tell he was trying to hold in his emotions.

It has been a while since he has broken down about Bella being gone and I prayed that tonight wouldn't be the night he did. Just too much has happened.

"I know, Liam. She misses you too." I kissed the top of his head and he yawned. "You want to go to your room?" He nodded his head, and we both got up from the floor.

I walked with him to his room, and he climbed into his bed. I got on the bed on top of the covers next to him. I ran my hand through his hair hoping he would fall asleep.

"I liked when she talked to me." I nodded my head against the top of his. "She always told good stories."

If he wanted to talk about Bella, we would. _As long as he was happy_. I knew when I got downstairs, I would have a lot of decisions I will need to make. _Do I tell Liam and Peyton about Charlie being their grandfather? Do I tell Bella over the phone? Or wait until she gets back? _

"You know, she was very quiet when she was little."

"Like me?"

"Yes, actually. She was quiet around everyone else, but she talked a lot with me."

"Me too. I just feel more comfortable talking to people I really know."

"Completely understandable." He just nodded his head and yawned again.

It was close to 10, it was way past his bedtime. I continued running my hand through his hair to sooth him to sleep. I sat on the bed with him for at least 10 minutes before I knew he was sleeping. I started to scoot off the bed and he woke up suddenly.

"Dad?" I got off the bed, but squatted down beside his bed. The position caused a sharp pain in my stomach, but I was able to deal with it.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"You are okay, right?" He asked with his eyes barely open.

"I am perfectly fine."

He smiled softly. "Love you, Dad." He said and he drifted off to sleep almost instantly.

I kissed his forehead and whispered I loved him too. I walked out of the room and shut his door gently. I walked down the hall and picked up the phone off the floor. I slipped it in my pocket and opened Peyton's door.

I walked over to her crib that I would have to be getting rid of soon. She was sleeping like she usually does; on her stomach with her little butt in the air. Her mouth was opened and she was snoring loudly. I ran my hand through her hair, and she didn't stir at all. I leant forward and kissed the side of her face. I wanted to pick her up and just hold her and feel her safe in my arms, but I didn't want to wake her. Thankfully she was a heavy sleeper and didn't have to hear any of what went on outside.

_I wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt her or Liam…ever. _

I kissed her one more time and whispered that I loved her in her ear. I walked out of her room and headed downstairs. Charlie, Sue, and Seth were all sitting in the living room.

"Was Liam awake?" Sue asked as soon as she saw me. She looked worried for him.

"Yeah, he was, but he is sleeping now. I found him sitting outside of Peyton's door."

"Aw, he was protecting her." She stated rather than asked and I just nodded with a proud smile on my face. "What a sweet boy."

"Yeah he is." I sat down on the chair. "So uh…how are all of you?"

"I am actually freaking out." Charlie said with a humorless laugh and Sue rubbed his back.

"You really had no idea?" I asked.

"Of course I didn't!" He said defensively.

"I know, I am sorry, Charlie."

"No it is fine, Edward. Now that I know all I can think about is how couldn't I have known? How couldn't I have known that she was my own daughter?"

"You had no way of knowing, Charlie." Sue said.

He shrugged. "I know but it still hurts to know that I missed out on 31 years of my daughter's life." He was shaking his head in disbelief and then he looked over at me. "Is it weird that I already love her like she is my own?"

I shook my head. "It is not at all. She is your daughter, Charlie."

"I know; it is a crazy feeling." I just nodded my head and ran my hand through my hair. "You thinking about something, Edward?"

The truth was, I was thinking of something, but it wasn't something I would tell Charlie because I didn't want him to feel guilty.

The only thing running through my mind was _wow_; Bella's life would have been 10,000 times better if Renee didn't decide to keep her father away from her. She would have had a loving father always there for her, and she would have undoubtedly turned out different. Sure Charlie was drunk for a little while, but he still raised two great kids. I never knew Leah of course, but I knew she would have been an amazing young girl.

Then when I started thinking about it more, if Bella had Charlie, she probably wouldn't have met me. She wouldn't have been in the house she was in with Renee and I would have never met her. If I didn't meet her, that meant I wouldn't have found a love as strong as ours. I also wouldn't have had Liam and Peyton in my life and that was something too painful to think about.

It brought back to me that phrase that everyone uses that was _'Everything happens for a reason.'_ I was a firm believer in that statement now. Bella suffered when she was younger never having a loving parent, and that hurt her, but she still gained a lot along the way. She suffered, and she lived through it and in the end, she got her father that she never knew. Maybe finding out Charlie was her father was only the beginning of the good things that were coming for her. _God, I can only hope. _

"I think we need to talk about some things." I said.

"I think you are right." Charlie said.

Sue and Seth both nodded their heads. They were just as much involved in this as me and Charlie. Sue was Bella's step mother, and Seth was her brother…_wow._ It made me happy to know that Bella had some family now. She would be so happy, I just know it. It may take her a while to get used to it, but she will be so happy.

"I think that we should wait until she gets out of rehab to tell her." That was something I was positive of. There was no way I would call her over the phone to tell her that I know who her father is and that she has a brother.

"When will that be?" Charlie asked.

"She told me about another two months or so." He took a deep breath and buried his face in her hands. "You alright, Charlie?"

"I just wish she was here. I want to see her."

I could see how much he truly meant that statement. I could only imagine what it would feel like to know that you had a 30 year old daughter that you knew nothing about.

"Make up for lost time, you know? I don't want her to hate me."

"That is ridiculous, Charlie. She will not hate you." I said positively. "She already liked you, and Bella is very understanding. It may take her a while to get used to the idea of having a father, but she will get there."

He nodded his head. "I know this is a stupid question, but you love her right?"

"I have loved her nearly all my life."

"I am grateful to you for that, Edward. You loved her all her life when I wasn't able too. Of course it was different kinds of love, but in the end…love is love."

"There is no need to thank me, Charlie. I can't live without her."

He nodded his head again. "Now, I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Can you…uh…can you tell me about her childhood? I mean you haven't told me much, but I am going to guess it wasn't that good."

I shook my head. "It wasn't. Maybe one day you can ask her about it, and if she doesn't want to, I will tell you, but I think that is something you should ask her about."

"I know, but please don't tell me Renee hit her." I just looked down at the ground and shook my head. I dint want to say it. He already knew though. "She is such a bitch."

"She is the worst person I know." I said and he nodded his head. It got silent in the room until Seth broke it.

"Wow, I have an older sister." He said in wonderment. Charlie, Sue, and I all laughed at his statement. The way he said it so out of the blue was funny. "I can't wait to meet her."

"She is a beautiful girl, honey." Sue said. She was quiet and I was wondering what she was thinking. "You know, when I first met Bella, there was something about her that familiar to me, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I remember thinking she would think I was creepy with the way I was looking at her. And now I know what it was. It was her eyes. They are just like Charlie's." She said and looked up at Charlie. Charlie smiled and the resemblance between him and Bella was so obvious now.

"Can we talk about your grandkids now, Charlie?" I asked. He looked up at me and smiled wider.

"My grandkids." He said testing it out. "I go from no grandkids, to having three in the matter of three months."

I smiled, glad that Charlie was looking so happy. Bella really couldn't have asked for a better father. My hopes were soaring at that point. I hope Bella will be able to grow from this. The future was looking bright for us.

"I don't think we should tell them until Bella knows, and she can tell them with us."

"Uh…any reason why?" Charlie asked.

I knew he was just anxious. I am sure that he would want Liam and Peyton to call him grandpa as soon as possible, but that won't be happening anytime soon.

"Well I know if they know and they talk to Bella, they will most likely spill. Especially Peyton." That little girl couldn't keep a secret for anything. "I just think that Bella should find out when we are face to face."

"That makes sense and I will wait."

"Good. Plus, if we did tell her over the phone, she would only want to come home, and I can't have that." Bella needed to finish rehab. All of these high hopes I have for her future now that Charlie was in the picture was impossible if she didn't finish.

"Right." Charlie said with a nod of his head. He looked at me kind of nervously. "What is her full name?" I laughed at the nervous expression his face. "I am sorry, I just want to know about her, that's all."

"No, it is fine, Charlie. I will tell you about her all night if you want. She is one of my favorite topics." I crossed my legs under me and faced him. "Her name is Isabella Cullen."

"What about before that?" Seth asked.

"It was Isabella Marie Swan, but she doesn't like that at all. Just Bella Cullen."

"Actually Edward, you know what?" Charlie asked.

"What?"

"I don't want you to tell me anything. I will figure it out from her."

I smiled. "And I am sure your daughter will have no problems telling you."

He smiled. "Now I have two daughters. Leah and Bella." He laughed in happiness and Sue and Seth did as well.

They were all so happy to have Bella in their family now and seeing them so happy about it, made me happy. Bella finally had some family that loved and cared for her outside of me, the kids, and sometimes my family.

Everything was falling into place it seemed.

The final puzzle piece though was Bella, and she needed to come home and meet her father.

* * *

**So now everyone knows except Bella and the kids of course! **

**Special thanks to Alexa for pre-reading this super fast! Because of her, I was able to get this chapter out this morning. I was planning on last night, but I was SO tired. I couldn't. So thank you Alexa! Love you! You could all thank her if you want as well by going to check out her new story Come & Goes…seriously…go read it. **

**For my Whenever You Call readers, I will be updating either Sunday or Monday so that chapter is coming. I haven't forgotten there has just been some set-backs. **

**For my What Really Matters readers, WRM was nominated for two awards at the Avant Garde awards. Best Completed Story and Best Kid (Harper)! Voting starts Nov. 20 so if you want to vote then, that would be nice! I will put the link in my profile! **

**The response I got from last chapter blew me away, so thank you, thank you, thank you.**

**Review please! **


	34. Chapter 33: Mine

**Chapter 33: Mine  
December 1, 2010**

**EPOV**

"Ugh…Dad what is taking them so long?" Liam asked as he was pacing in the doctor's office and running his hand through his hair. He looked way to much like me in that moment.

"They will be here soon, bud. I am sure Grandpa is trying to get someone in here as soon as possible." I said as I continued rubbing Peyton's back who was now sleeping on my chest. I was happy to see her at peace now because about 20 minutes ago she was screaming and crying when they tested her for the flu. That was hard to see.

"Do you think she will be okay?" Liam asked me worriedly. He hated when Peyton was sick, and unfortunately, she was sick quite often. We knew she would be sick a lot from the beginning when she had her heart surgery. Usually it was just a small cold or a cough or something and sometimes it was barely noticeable because she seemed used to it. She was a strong little girl, but this time it was worse and she was absolutely miserable. I could feel the heat radiating off of her through her clothes and mine as she was lying against me.

"She will be fine, Liam." I told him. Between the both of us, we were a worrying mess about Peyton right now since my poor baby girl was so sick.

"But what if she is not?"

"Come over here, bud." He was getting too distraught and he doesn't need to be worrying that much. He walked over to me and Peyton and jumped onto the examination table with us. I wrapped my free arm around him and rubbed his arm in comfort. "You need to stop worrying so much, kiddo."

"You worry too though."

I chuckled. "I know, and I do it so you don't have to."

"Okay, but what about later? Will she be able to go with us?"

I smiled thinking about later. About 12 hours from now to be exact. "We will find out when the doctor gets back."

"I hope she can," He said and started rubbing Peyton's back with me. "I know Mommy will really want to see her when we pick her up."

I smiled. "Mommy is going to be happy to see the both of you."

Bella was coming home today. She ended up having to spend a little more time in the sober house than she thought, but she was all done and sober. I couldn't wait to see her. Words can't even express how much I missed her. It was literally the worst kind of feeling having your other half all the way across the country.

"You too, Dad."

"Yeah I know, but you are both her babies." He smiled up at me and then the door opened. I looked over and saw Peyton's doctor walk in with a chart in his hand. Dr. Cooper has been her doctor since she was born and he was a trustworthy doctor.

"Oh good she fell asleep. I felt so bad making her cry like that." He said with a sigh of relief.

I chuckled. "It's alright, you had to it."

He nodded and sat down on the chair in front of us. "True. Well we got the test results back and unfortunately little Peyton over here has Type C Influenza."

I sighed sadly. I was hoping it wasn't that. The flu scared me, it really did. She was so small and I knew how vicious the flu can be. "Okay."

"Don't worry about it too much, Edward. Type C is the mildest form of it, but it still isn't fun. Peyton is really small, but she seems to be fighting it very well at the moment. Her fever is not as high as it usually would be at this point, and she seems to be sleeping it off."

"So what should I do?"

"The main thing you can do is let her sleep as much as she wants, but make sure you keep giving her fluids. That is the most important thing right now."

"But her throat hurts…"

"She needs to do it, Edward or else she will have to be admitted and attached to an IV. She needs the fluids. You can try just letting her suck on a popsicle or something, but you need to keep her hydrated. Try giving her Children's Motrin, that really helps with sore throats." I nodded my head and kissed the top of her head. "Other than that, just do what you can to keep her comfortable and keep her out of the cold as much as you can, I know it is a snowing mess outside, but keep her inside until she is feeling a little better."

That was what I didn't want to hear. All three of us were supposed to go pick Bella up at the airport at 8:30 tonight, but I knew now that I couldn't take Peyton with me. She is really sick, and the doctor said no cold weather, and I wouldn't want her inside that crowded airport with all other people's germs around her. I needed her to get better and that wasn't a way to do it. I regretted not taking her to get the flu shot, but I was too scared to do it since she was so young.

"Okay, thank you doctor."

"You're welcome." He said and got up from the chair. "Now I am going to send you home with a breathing treatment that you can get from the front desk. Give it to her every three hours, and if her fever gets any higher, or she has trouble breathing, bring her to the hospital right away."

"Of course."

"Alright, well I hope you understand what I mean when I say I hope I don't hear from you."

I smiled. "Yeah, I understand. I hope I don't."

He extended his fist out to Liam who bumped his smaller fist with his. "See you later, champ. Help your Dad take care of your sister."

"Oh I will." Liam said and nodded his head and I smiled at him. Dr. Cooper ruffled his hair and then walked out of the room. "Can we go see grandpa?" Liam asked me.

"Sure, if he is in his office we can say hi." I said. I got up from the table and adjusted Peyton in my arms so she could continue sleeping. "Can you grab her jacket, hat, and gloves, Liam?" He nodded his head and picked up her things along with his. I had my jacket over my other shoulder. Liam held onto my shirt as we walked down the halls and made our way to my father's office.

Liam knocked on it when we approached, and my father called for us to come in. Liam put the stuff down on the first surface he saw and ran straight to my father who had a big smile on his face. "Grandpa! I missed you!"

"Oh I missed you too, sport." He said and hugged Liam tightly. We just saw them at Thanksgiving, but apparently that was too long for my boy. My family and I still have a pretty good relationship. I talk to each of them at least one time a week and my nieces and nephews come and visit or we visit them as much as we can. We all work though and it is hard to fit those kinds of things in.

"Can I listen to my heart? Can I?" He asked excitedly and his eyes were on the stethoscope hanging around my father's neck. My Dad smiled and reached for something in his drawer. He took out some alcohol wipes and cleaned off the part that goes in the ear and gave it to him. That would keep him occupied for hours. He didn't get off of my father's lap while he listened to his heart.

"How is she, son?" My Dad asked me. I was now sitting on the chair in front of his desk with a still sleeping Peyton in my arms.

"She has the flu."

"Aw…poor kid. Which type?"

"C."

"Oh she is a strong girl, she can fight it out."

I smiled. "Yeah, that was what I was thinking."

"So what time do you pick up Bella again?"

My smile got wider I am sure. "Her flight lands at 8:30."

He smiled and Liam was now putting the stethoscope on my father's heart. "That's great, son."

"Yeah, I can't wait. I think I am going to have to call everyone and cancel the little get together we had planned."

"Why?" He asked confusedly. My whole side of the family and Charlie's family were supposed to be coming over for a late lunch and were going to wait at my house for Bella, but now I wasn't so sure if that was what I wanted to do.

"Well mostly because of Peyton. I mean she is really sick, and I don't want to get all the other kids sick too. I am sure Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper would agree."

"That is true. She is pretty contagious right now."

"Yeah, but Liam is fine. He had the flu shot this year and so have I."

"Why didn't you give Peyton one?"

"I was too scared to do that. She just turned three…" I started feeling even guiltier for not doing it, but I was really just too scared to. What if she had a bad reaction to it or something and she ended up even more sick…there were just too many possibilities.

"It's completely understandable, Edward. Don't beat yourself up over it, she will be fine."

"Yeah I know. So have you guys got a new car yet?" My parents' car was totaled when two cars got in a car accident and hit my parents' car that was parked in the street.

He sighed. "No, not yet, we were going to go look tomorrow, but since we aren't going over your house today, we might go find one today."

"Cool." Peyton started to stir in my arms and I looked down at her to see if she was going to be waking up. She took a deep breath and she held onto my shirt tighter. I felt her tense and then whimper in discomfort. She lifted her head and looked at me. The whole right side of her face was red and her hair was all messed up.

"Daddy…I feel poopy." She said adorably and rubbing her eyes at the same time. I chuckled at her statement.

"I know, baby. You ready to go home so you can sleep in your bed?"

She dropped her head back on my chest and wrapped her arms around me middle as much as she could. "Sounds good."

I got up from the chair. "Why don't you say bye to Grandpa."

She lifted her head from my shoulder again. "Grandpa's here?" I nodded at her and she looked behind her at my Dad. "Oh hi Grandpa." She reached over for him and Liam climbed down from his lap and started to get his jacket on. My Dad took Peyton from me and started cuddling her and talking to her as I got her stuff together.

"Is Peyton still going with us to get Mommy?" Liam whispered.

"No, she isn't." I still didn't know what I was going to do about that. I knew she wasn't going to be happy about it at all. I was lost as to what to do. Bella needed to be picked up, but I didn't want to leave Peyton home, but I also didn't want to deprive Liam from getting to see her as soon as he could by making him stay home with us while I sent someone else to get her. Then if I sent someone else to get her, I am sure Bella would be a little sad not being able to see any of us when she landed.

Things really just never go my way.

* * *

"Daddyyyy…" Peyton whined behind me. I was trying to clean the house up because I noticed it was a disaster. It wasn't in the shape that I wanted Bella to see when she got home. It was difficult to do with my sick girl though.

"Honey, I have to clean right now." I said and continued wiping down the counters.

"But Daddy I want you to lay with me." She whined again with her little congested voice. I wanted so bad to lay with her just to make he feel better, but I really needed to clean. It was already a little after four and I have literally had her in my arms since we got home and I was spoiling her too much.

"Why don't you ask Liam if he will lay with you, baby? I need to get some stuff done."

"But I don't want Liam, Daddy." She sounded like she was going to start crying and my resolve started to falter. "My throat and my bones hurt but you make me feel better." She whined again and let out a little sob at the end.

I am really defenseless.

I sighed and put the sponge I was using in the sink. I dried my hands off and picked her up. She immediately clung to me as her cries started to slow down. I walked into the living room and laid back on the couch with her on my chest. She patted me on the cheek. "Thank you, Daddy." I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back hoping she would fall asleep.

It was only a couple of minutes later when I heard Liam's heavy footfalls coming from upstairs. He ran into the living room and stood in front of me with two t-shirts in his hand: one black and the other blue. "Which one do you think I should wear to when we get Mom?"

I smirked at him because he was really excited to see Bella just as I was. "Either one is fine, Liam. You know she won't really care what you are wearing."

"I know, but still."

Peyton lifted her head off of my chest. "What should I wear, Daddy?"

I still haven't told Peyton that she couldn't go mostly because I didn't want to see her so hurt, but I guess there was no running away from it now. "Well we can pick something out for you to where so Mommy can see it when she gets home."

"What do you mean?" She asked with her little sick voice and it was breaking my heart. I didn't want to tell her because then it would break her heart.

"Honey, you are too sick to go to the airport." I saw her little bottom lip start to quiver and it started poking out in a pout. "But it's okay, baby. You will see her as soon as Mommy gets home."

"B-but I wanted to go get her."

"You can't, princess. I'm sorry."

She dropped her head back on my chest and started crying. I looked over at Liam and saw that he looked like he felt bad for her also. I mean who wouldn't? "But I miss my Mommy, Daddy. I want to see her."

"You will, baby. You will see her, I promise." I sat up but kept her in my arms. "Mommy will be so happy to see you, Peyton. Plus you can stay here with Charlie and Sue." Charlie and Sue agreed to watch Peyton while I brought Liam to pick up Bella. It was a hard decision to make because no matter what I did, I would end up hurting one of them, and unfortunately Peyton was going to be hurt regardless. I didn't want to deprive Liam from going just because Peyton couldn't though. I didn't think that was fair to him.

"I don't want Charlie and Sue, I want Mommy." She said stubbornly and crossed her arms across her chest.

"You will see Mommy, baby. You want to know what Mommy will really like?"

"What?" She mumbled.

"I think she would like if you and Sue maybe baked her some cupcakes."

"I am sick, Daddy. I would make Mommy sick." She said simply and shit she had a point. When did she get so smart?

"Well what if you drew her something with Sue and Charlie, I am sure they can help you."

"But why can't I just go with you and Liam?"

"Because, honey, you are sick. If you go outside in the cold and then go to a big airport with all the germs everywhere, you can get even sicker." I explained to her. I figured telling her the flat out truth would be best. I guess I was a paranoid father, but I really didn't want to take her there and risk her getting sicker. Plus I am sure everyone else there wouldn't appreciate me bringing my daughter there who is sick with the flu. It is contagious after all.

It seemed to work because she looked less upset. "Mommy won't be mad at me?"

"Oh of course not, Peyton! Mommy wouldn't be mad at all."

She sighed. "I guess so."

"Your such a good girl, Peyton." I kissed the top of her head and Liam kissed her hair.

"Yeah, don't worry. I will tell Mommy that you want to come but you couldn't." He told her in a reassuring voice.

"Can you tell her I love her too?" She asked him with wide eyes.

"Well duh!" She giggled and I was glad to see Liam could have such a good effect on her. The doorbell rang and I knew who it was.

"Come in!" I yelled in the doors direction and looked back to the kids. "Liam, do you mind lying down with your sister for a little so I can talk to Julia?"

"Julia is here?" He asked and just as he did, Julia walked into the room. "Hi, Julia!" He said and waved at her. He still went to see her every two weeks and he really liked her.

"Hey Liam and Peyton!" She said and stood in the doorway.

"I am sick, Julia." Peyton told her and I laughed at her being so cute.

"Oh I am sorry to hear that, Peyton. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thank you."

"Okay, so can you both just stay in here and watch TV while I go talk to Julia?"

"Sure, Dad." Liam said and hopped up on the couch. I placed Peyton beside him and she curled into his side and he wrapped his arm around her. I smiled at them and kissed both of their heads. I turned the TV on and then gave Liam the remote before walked with Julia to the kitchen.

"Have a seat." I said gesturing towards the kitchen table. "You want anything to drink?"

"No, no that's fine. Thank you though."

"Okay." I walked to the table and sat down in front of her. I was glad Julia was here. I called her to update her on Bella, and she said she wanted to meet with me before just to discuss what I should expect when she got home. I didn't exactly understand what she meant by that, but I agreed to it anyway because I wanted to know if there was something I should do for when Bella got back.

"So how are you doing, Edward?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am happy…incredibly so, but I am also a little nervous."

"About what exactly?"

"Well actually seeing her isn't what is causing the nerves; I know that will be amazing and not awkward at all."

"Over five months is a long time…"

I shook my head. There was no way she was going to talk me out of this. "But it is Bella. I know it has been a while, but she is my wife. There is no need for awkwardness, Julia. I know my wife."

"I know that, Edward. I just want to warn you a little on what could possibly happen when she gets back."

I groaned and ran my hands through my hair. "You are making me nervous, Julia."

"That is not my intention, Edward, I promise you. I am not saying that Bella will come back a different person. I know she will still be the same Bella you let go, but I just don't want you to believe that everything will turn back to normal."

"Why can't it?"

"Bella has had to make a lot of changes in her life, Edward. She hasn't seen her children in five months, she has had little to no contact with any family, she isn't drinking, and she also has to face the damage she left behind."

"She left nothing damaged, Julia. We are all fine."

"It may seem that way to you, but Bella still has to face all of the bad decisions she made. She was able to deal with them when she was in Florida, but it is a totally different thing when she comes home and sees how much everything changed since she left. Those kids are incredibly close to you, and she will see that. She will see how much she missed out on, and she will start feeling bad. She will also see the schedule you all have going and she will feel left out of that, and she might detach herself."

She said she didn't want to make me nervous, but she was doing a really bad job of it. "You don't know that for sure."

"Oh I know, I may be completely wrong, but I wanted to warn you, Edward because it does happen in some cases, and I figured warning you ahead of time would be easier than it smacking you in the face all of a sudden."

I nodded my head. It made sense; I just wished it wasn't going to be a problem. We have already dealt with so much shit, and I just wanted it to be over so we could be a normal and happy family together. "What should I do about telling her about Charlie?"

Julia was the only person who knew besides me, Charlie, Sue, and Seth. "Definitely don't tell her right away. At least give her a week. She will be too overwhelmed if you pick her up from the airport and tell her 'oh hey, Charlie is your father.'"

"That's what I figured."

"She is probably going to be an emotional mess when she gets back, though."

"Oh I already know that, she will probably be crying her eyes out when she sees the kids."

"At least they will be tears of happiness. Just remember that, I know you always told me how much you hated when she cried."

I smiled. "I know, tears of happiness I think I can deal with."

"I'm happy for you, Edward. I know it was a really rough road for you, but all of that is paying off. You have to see what an amazing job you have done."

I thought about that. "I think it will hit me once I see her and can feel her next to me."

She smiled. "I have said this once, but I will say it again, because I am so sure of this, Edward. I know you and Bella will be just fine."

"I think so too."

* * *

"Knock, knock!" I heard Charlie yell from the front door. Thank God Peyton was awake or else I would have had to tackle the old man for waking up my sick kid with his yelling.

"We are in here!" I called from the living room where Liam and I were both tying our shoes. Peyton was sitting on the couch eating a popsicle. It was almost seven and Liam and I needed to get going or else we were going to be late.

Charlie and Sue both came walking in holding hands with huge smiles on their faces. "Why are you guys smiling like that…it is kind of creepy." Liam said and I hit him with the clean sock I had in my hand.

"That wasn't nice." I said but I couldn't hold in my chuckle and Liam laughed too.

Charlie and Sue didn't seem hurt though as they were laughing as well. "We are just happy today, Liam. Aren't you?" Charlie asked.

Liam looked over at Peyton whose attention was on the TV and her popsicle. She has been really quiet since I told her she couldn't go, and I could tell she was still upset about it. "Yeah I am." He said with a smile that I knew he was trying to hide from Peyton. He didn't want her to feel even worse.

Sue walked over to Peyton and sat down next to her. She ran her hand through her hair, but Peyton didn't even acknowledge she was there. "Hi pretty girl, are you feeling better?"

"No I am still sick."

"Oh I am sorry to hear that honey, but Charlie and I, we will take good care of you, okay?"

She nodded her head. Sue looked up at me with a sad expression on her face and I sighed. It was going to be hard leaving her here. "I have new pictures of Destiny if you want to see them." Sue said to her, hoping to get a normal Peyton reaction. Destiny Leah Clearwater was Seth's daughter, and Sue and Charlie's third grandchild. She was a beautiful little baby with jet black hair and blue eyes just like her dad. Peyton was amazed by her and wanted to hold her all the time.

"Maybe another day." She said and Sue just sighed and sat back to watch TV with her.

"Edward, can I talk to you for a second?" Charlie asked.

"Sure." I got up and walked out with him to the kitchen. "So how is Destiny?"

"She is perfect. Her mother is pissing me off though."

"Why? What happened now?" Seth's baby momma, Andrea, turned out to be quite the bitch after she gave birth to Destiny. Seth tried to make it work with her before the baby was born, and she agreed, but after Destiny was born about two months ago, she wanted nothing to do with Seth or the baby. They didn't live together though, so they had shared custody of Destiny.

"Seth had work last night so he called her to watch Destiny, and she never showed up."

"What the hell is her problem?"

"I don't know, man. Seth called us though and we watched her for him, but still. She can't be that unreliable. Seth wants to finish school, but it will be hard if he is a single father."

"I will call him tomorrow or something just to let him know that we are here too if he needs help."

He smiled. "Thanks Edward. So are you ready to see her?"

I couldn't stop the smiled from appearing on my face. "I have been ready for over five months, Charlie."

"I can't wait to see her either. Did you talk to Julia? What did she say about telling her?"

I sighed. "She said we should wait at least a week, just to get her settled a little."

He nodded, but I could see inside he was really disappointed. "It makes sense. I just want her to know, you know?"

"I know, and she will."

He nodded. "Well I think you should get going, kid."

I breathed in through my nose and let it out of my mouth. "I think so too." I turned and he followed me back into the living room. "Come on, Liam it is time to go." Liam immediately got up from the chair.

"No, no, no, no…" I heard Peyton say and then she was running at me. She dropped her popsicle on the rug and Sue picked it up before it made too much of a mess. Peyton ran straight at me and hugged around my legs. "Don't go, Daddy. Stay here with me, please." She whimpered.

I picked her up. "Baby, I need to go get Mommy."

She wrapped her little arms tightly around my neck. "Don't leave, Daddy." She was crying hard now and my chest burned. _What the hell do I do?_

"Peyton…I will be back soon."

She shook her head against my shoulder. "No, no, no…stay with me, Daddy. I don't want you to go."

"But don't you want me to get, Mommy?"

"Yes, yes I want Mommy home, but make Charlie go get her. I want you to stay here and make me feel better, Daddy. Please, please."

I got why she was feeling this way. She was obviously sad she couldn't come to get Bella, and she didn't want to be alone with neither one of her parents. I knew kids liked to have their parents around when they were sick. I had no problem doing that for her, but what about Liam? I couldn't just make him stay home because Peyton wanted me home. Parenting was fucking hard.

"Come here, honey." Sue said and tried to take Peyton from my arms but Peyton's hold around my neck was tight.

"No…" she whined.

"We can go pick her up, Edward." Charlie said from behind me.

I looked over at Liam who was looking at me and Peyton sadly. "Would you mind going with Charlie and Sue, bud?" I felt horrible and like I was choosing between my children, but that wasn't it at all.

"Sure, I don't mind, Dad." Liam said and I was so grateful to have such an amazing son.

I kissed Peyton's head. "I will stay with you, honey." I wanted nothing more than to see Bella as soon as I could, but again, our kids come first. I was contemplating taking Peyton with me for a minute, but then I decided it was better if she just stayed home.

"Thank you, Daddy." She said and started to calm down. I handed her over to Sue and she went willingly since she knew I was staying.

I walked over to Liam and knelt down in front of him. I pulled him close and kissed the side of his head. "Make sure you tell your Mom that Peyton and I love her and will be waiting for her."

"I will. Love you, Dad."

"I love you too, son." He let go of me and walked over to Charlie. I took Peyton back from Sue and then with final waves, they left.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She said softly from her spot on my chest and she looked like she was going to fall asleep at any moment. I could tell she still had a fever with how hot she felt against my chest.

"Why are you sorry, baby?"

"You wanted to go."

"Yeah, but we will get to see Mommy soon, so it isn't that bad."

"Love you lots, Daddy."

"Love you too, baby girl. Now do you want to go to sleep?"

"Yes, please." I went upstairs to my bed with her this time so she could be more comfortable. She fell asleep in a matter of minutes, and I tried to fall asleep with her, but it wasn't happening. Every second was another second closer to seeing Bella, and it was like my body knew that and wouldn't be back to normal until she was in my arms.

* * *

I could hear my heart beating.

It was silent in the living room besides Peyton's soft breathing and my feet shuffling against the floor as I paced. All I could hear was my heart beating fast in my chest. I wasn't nervous. I was anxious. I was more than ready to see her and they would be here any minute.

I looked back down at my phone to see if Charlie sent me any other message. He sent me one right after they got her and it said: _She's here safely and she looks beautiful and healthy._

Peyton just fell back asleep about 20 minutes ago after I gave her a bath. Poor thing was still really sick and she had another popsicle to help her throat. I was able to put her down to sleep without me having to hold her and she was sleeping on the couch.

I saw headlights through the front window and my heart rate picked up once again. I could hear the engine die and doors start to open. I wanted to run outside, but for some reason my feet were cemented to the floor.

My breath was picking up and so was my heart. It was like I could sense her so close. I heard a key in the door, Charlie had one. At that sound I was able to move. I walked over in front of the door and then it opened.

Sue was opening the door so I saw her first holding Bella's bag…then Charlie holding a sleeping Liam…and then her…_my _Bella.

She looked so much different, but the same at the same time. Her hair was a little longer and had more layers than before. She looked like she gained a little bit of weight, but it only made her look healthier and breathtakingly beautiful. I could tell she had been crying and I could only imagine her tears when she saw Liam.

Now her eyes were on me and I saw as her knees kind of gave out on her and she leaned on the door for support. Charlie and Sue walked into the living room with Liam as Bella and I were both looking at each other and studying each other.

My heart was calmer now that she was in my vision. She was wringing her hands in front of her and she looked nervous. I don't know what she was nervous about.

I opened my arms to her. "Come here, love." I said softly.

I saw a tear fall from her eye, but the big smile she wore canceled that tear out. She ran straight at me and wrapped her arms around my neck and wrapped her legs around my waist. She attached herself to me, and I held her incredibly close to me. She was crying and I was so fucking close to it.

Because just like that, I was whole again. She was here.

She pulled away from me just so she could look at me. I had my arms hooked underneath her holding her up. She brought her shaking hands to my hair and ran her hands through it. My eyes fluttered shut at the feeling because it had been way too long since she had done that. She put one hand on my cheek, and the other to the back of my head where she gripped onto my hair. She was looking at me like I was some kind of treasure and I was hoping that I was making her feel as happy as she was making me feel.

I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath just soaking in this moment. No words were spoken, but the feeling of raw love around us was staggering. I felt her lips softly touch my forehead and then I felt a tear fall from my eye.

"Don't cry, baby." She whispered as she wiped my tear away with her thumb. Her voice caused goosebumps all over my skin and I opened my eyes again to look at her.

"You're one to talk, love."

She chuckled. She chuckled _my _Bella's chuckle and I smiled at her. "You have no idea how good it feels to be home."

"I am happy that you are happy, Bella." She surprised me when she all of a sudden leaned forward and her lips landed on mine. It was like second nature and I kissed her right back. Her lips felt amazing on mine and I never wanted them to leave. It has been over five months since I have kissed or even touched my wife, so I never wanted to stop. She tried pulling away, but I just leaned forward again to feel her kiss me once again and she laughed at my eagerness.

"We have all the time in the world, Edward."

I smiled but kissed her again anyway. "You look beautiful, Bella."

"You're one to talk, Cullen." She said repeating my words from earlier and I laughed. This was really her; this was really _my_ Bella in my arms. It was the moment I have waited so long for.

She unlocked her legs from around me and her feet dropped to the floor. "Sorry, Peyton and I couldn't make it."

She shook her head. "Don't say sorry, I understand. How is she?"

"She is sleep…" I didn't get to finished because I heard little footsteps running to where Bella and I were standing and then I saw my little pajama-clad baby girl standing in the doorway looking half asleep and little wobbly.

Her eyes were squinting at the light in the room. "Mommy?" She asked groggily and I looked over at Bella.

"Peyton?" She said like she couldn't believe it was her.

Peyton rubbed her eyes and yawned, her yawn caused her to start coughing hard though. Bella sprang into action instantly as she let go of my hands and walked over to Peyton. She lifted her into her arms and Peyton continued coughing. Bella was rubbing her back and shushing her. "Shhh…it's okay, my baby."

I felt a lump in my throat seeing her with Peyton in her arms again. "Mommy!" She said excitedly after she was done and she wrapped her arms around Bella's neck. "I missed you, I missed you, I missed you!" She squealed and Bella laughed with tears falling down her face.

"I missed you to, angel! You have grown up so much! Your hair is so long!"

Peyton lifted her head from her shoulder. "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do, it looks really pretty."

"Daddy wants me to cut it, but I said 'no way Jose.'"

Bella laughed and kissed her cheek. "I won't let Daddy do it, I promise."

I walked over to my girls. "Well that is fine with me as long as you will brush it and style it every morning." I told her as I put my hand on her back.

"That will be absolutely no problem at all."

Liam all of a sudden came running into the room and into my arms. He was really tall and it was hard to hold him, but I managed. "Dad! Mom is home! Aren't you so excited?" He was way alert for someone who was just sleeping 30 seconds ago.

Charlie and Sue walked in and Charlie only had eyes for Bella. Bella wouldn't have noticed though because she only had eyes for Liam and Peyton at that moment. "We are going to get going." Charlie said.

"Alright, thanks you guys." I said to them.

"Yes, thank you so much for all you have done for them, Charlie and Sue. It means a lot more than you know." Bella said to them. Peyton had her head on Bella's shoulder and Liam had his hand on her other shoulder.

"It was no problem, Bella. You all have a good night." Sue said.

"Yes, and you're welcome, Bella." Charlie said to her and she smiled at him. He smiled back and then looked at me. "I will call you tomorrow, Edward."

"Okay, thank you." They left and that left me alone with my family.

"Hey, Dad."

"Yes, Liam?"

"You know what I was thinking?"

"What's that?"

"Well since I am really tired, I think we should all go to sleep on you and Mom's bed."

"Hmm…I don't know, what do you think, Bella?" I asked her. The smile never faded from her face and Peyton had a small one on, but the poor thing looked so tired. The flu was really taking its toll on her. It didn't stop her from clinging onto Bella though.

"I think that sounds like the best idea I have heard all day. I am exhausted." Bella answered.

"Alright, well then lets go." I said and we all went upstairs to get our pajamas on. Peyton already had hers on, and she refused to let Bella put her down. I got changed into my flannel pants and t-shirt first and then convinced Peyton to let me hold her while Bella got changed. When I was able to see her with only her underwear and bra on, I noticed how amazing her body looked. She looked absolutely perfect. I found myself selfishly praying for some alone time as soon as possible…

When Bella was finished changing she reached for Peyton once again, but I pulled her away. "Hey! Give me my daughter!" She said playfully.

"Nuh uh, not until you give me a kiss." Peyton giggled and Bella rolled her eyes. She grabbed my face in one of her hands and kissed me quickly on the mouth. I would have demanded more but we couldn't really go too far when our daughter was in my arms.

I handed Peyton back to her and they both went to the bed. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and when I got back, Liam was in bed with them. I stood in the doorway for a second watching the three of them together. This was a sight I have wanted to see for a while now.

My kids had their mother back.

I walked over to them and laid down in the spot that they had for me. I was next to Peyton who was laying her head on Bella's chest already sleeping and Liam was on the other side of Bella with his head also resting on her chest and his arm around her middle. Bella looked over at me and smiled softly. I kissed her forehead and closed my eyes. I was actually tired as well and I knew I would be able to sleep perfectly with Bella here.

"Edward?" I heard Bella whisper about five minutes later.

"Yeah?" I asked and opened my eyes and saw that she was crying. Both kids were completely out for the count. I ran my hand through her hair. "What's wrong, love?"

"Thank you so much, I don't know if I can say it enough." She was starting to sob softly and I saw she was trying to contain herself so she wouldn't wake the kids. Her sudden outburst had me on edge.

"Hey, calm down, beautiful. It's okay; there is no need to thank me."

"But there is, Edward. I am so lucky to have you. You stayed here and your stayed strong for them. They are perfect, and they are perfect because of you. I just don't know if I can become worthy of you…"

"Bella stop it." I said interrupting her rant. "You have nothing to prove, alright? You already did that by going to get help."

She shook her head as more tears fell. "S'not enough."

"Bella, please. Please stop crying. Stop thinking like that, love. Please calm down and try to go some sleep, you must be exhausted."

She nodded her head and sniffled. I wiped the tears from her eyes with my fingers. "I'm so tired. I barely ever slept. It's hard to sleep without you next to me."

I leaned over Peyton while making sure not to smush her and kissed Bella's lips. I could taste the salt of her tears. "I barely slept either, but that is in the past. I am here with you, you are here with me, our kids are here with us, and nothing can change that now."

"As long as I don't screw it up again."

"Bella stop!" I said in a whisper yell. She was frustrating me with the way she was talking. I didn't want her beating herself up over everything. Yes, it was mostly because of her actions that we were separated, but it was fixed now. I didn't need her falling back into that place. "Stop saying stuff like that, because it hurts me, Bella."

"I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you…"

"Then don't talk like that. I love you so much, Bella. Even after everything that happened, I still love you. I did everything I did because I love you and not because I felt I had to. What's done is done, and we both fixed it. Together we got everything back to the way it is supposed to be, so there is no room for doubts, love. We proved time and time again through our lives that we can beat the odds as long as we are together and we do it together. Let that be enough." I whispered.

She nodded her head in agreement. "Okay." I was glad that was over. For now. "I love you."

"I know, you proved that to me when you came home today as _my _Bella."

"I promise to be your Bella forever. I promise."

I kissed her once more. "That's all I ask."

* * *

**I hope you all liked the chapter and are as happy as I am that Bella is back! I missed writing her! **

**There are a couple of things I would like to say: **

**First, Alexa and I posted our new story! It is called The Roads of Life by MonyAlexa. There is only one chapter so far and I know the subject matter is a little different, but trust me when I tell you we have some really good things planned for that story and we worked hella hard on it. So please go check it out! **

**Next, for my What Really Matters readers, WRM was nominated in the Avant Garde awards for Best Completed Story and Best Kid: Harper! Link is on my profile, go vote please! **

**Also, I decided I will respond to every review from now on, and answer any questions. The only thing is that if you review anonymously and do have a question or something and you want me to respond, you need to send me some kind of contact information or I have no way to contact you. **

**Finally, as mentioned earlier in the chapter, Children's Motrin is like the miracle cure for sore throats, and I not kidding. You don't even have to be a kid, so if your throat is ever hurting, just go have a couple of teaspoons of Children's Motrin. It really works, like no joke. It is amazing.**

**Okay, now I am done. Review please! **

**P.S. Just kidding I guess I am not done lol, also go check out my other story Whenever You Call! Okay that's it for real…bye! **


	35. Chapter 34: Time

**Chapter 34: Time  
December 11, 2010**

**EPOV **

I was shaking.

Wait…I wasn't shaking…but something was. I was too out of it to actually figure out what the hell it was. The shaking persisted and I was getting further and further out of my state of sleep.

As I came to, I opened my eyes to find out the cause of the shake. When I did, I saw the bottom half of my pajama clad daughter. She was on her knees and she was bouncing on the bed trying to wake me up.

"You awake, Daddy?" She whispered and kept bouncing.

"No, I'm sleeping." I mumbled into my pillow.

"No you're not."She said matter-of-factly and stopped her bouncing. "If you were sleeping you wouldn't be able to talk to me."

"I'm not talking."

"Nice try, Daddy." She said and started pulling on my t-shirt. "Come on, Daddy. We already had breakfast…it is almost lunch time!"

This got my attention and I shot up on the bed. I looked over at the alarm clock on my bedside table and it was 11:13. I sat up completely after seeing the time. I have been sleeping a lot lately. I think it was me making up from all the time I didn't sleep when Bella was gone.

"Why didn't Mommy wake me up earlier?" I asked Peyton.

She shrugged. "She said you needed your sleep."

I sighed. That was how Bella was lately. She was still herself, and I was so incredibly happy with her around, but her behavior has been different since she got back. I didn't really fully understand it, but she just seemed like she was always on edge. Luckily she hasn't had one drink, or even mention wanting one since she got back, and for that I was so grateful.

"Come on; let's go see your Mom." I got up from the bed and picked her up off of it and into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me as we walked out of the room. "Where is she?"

"She's in the living room with Liam doing a boring crossword puzzle." She mumbled against my shoulder and I chuckled. Liam and Peyton were total opposites when it came to stuff like that.

I jogged down the steps with Peyton and she giggled along the way. I walked to the living room and saw Bella sitting on the floor with Liam in front of the coffee table. Bella looked back at me in the doorway, and then got up from the floor.

"Peyton! Did you wake your Daddy up?" She asked almost in a panic.

"Yes, I missed him and he was sleeping and being boring." She was too cute sometimes.

I get why she missed me, because I missed her too. I ended up staying at work until 10 the night before so I barely saw her or Liam since they were in school most of the day. Today was Saturday though, so I planned on spending the day with all three of them. I also had something else planned today that involved a nice long conversation between me, Bella, and Charlie.

It has been over a week. It was time to tell her.

"Honey, I told you to let him sleep." Bella said and ran her hands through her hair.

"Love, it's fine. I shouldn't be sleeping that late anyway." She just lightly shrugged her shoulders and she looked stressed. I bent down to put Peyton down and she ran over to Liam. I walked up to Bella and immediately pulled her to my chest. "You doing okay, love?"

She wrapped her arms around my middle and rested her head on my chest. Every hug, kiss, and touch I got from her now, I cherished. I always think about all the days I never got a chance to do any of them, and it brought me back to how lucky I was to still have her with me; clean and sober.

"I'm fine."

I took my arms from around her and brought my hands to her face. I lifted her face towards mine so I could see her eyes. I ran my thumbs over the purplish bags that were underneath her beautiful eyes.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" She has been having trouble sleeping.

Every night I tried humming to her and rubbing her back for her, but nothing seemed to work for long. If I woke up for any reason in the middle of the night, she was usually awake, but she never left my arms.

She shrugged. "A little."

I sighed. "I am getting a babysitter for this afternoon. You need to relax, Bella."

She shook her head immediately. "No. No babysitter. I don't need to sleep right now, I am fine."

"Bella, you have been home for over a week now, and you work yourself too hard. There is nothing wrong with you relaxing for a couple of hours."

"Maybe not, but there is something very wrong with a mother being away from her children for more than half a year. I won't spend any time away from them unless it is absolutely necessary, like when they are in school." She said stubbornly.

"Bella, you are going to wear yourself out. The kids don't want that, love. They will be fine…they can just go over Emmett's house for a while."

She shook her head again. "No, Edward."

There was no way I was letting this go. "If you won't do it for yourself, do it for me." She sighed and looked away from me. I know I was kind of hitting below the belt, but I needed her to calm down a little. "And for the kids, Bella. We don't like seeing you tired and stressed out all the time."

"What time?"

"I will call Emmett for three." I had ulterior motives of course, they weren't as important of her getting rest, but it was something that needed to be done, and I didn't want the kids here. I would make her relax at three until about six when Charlie was coming over.

She sighed. "Fine. If it will make you happy, why not?"

I bent down and kissed her. "It will make me very happy, love."

* * *

"Mom! Dad! I think it's here!" Liam yelled from the front of the house. I was in the living room watching TV while Bella was in the kitchen doing the dishes from lunch. Peyton was on the floor in front of me playing with her dolls. Liam ran into the room. "Dad! Come on! He is coming up to the door now!"

He was so overly excited to get his new baseball bat. He and I ordered it about three weeks ago, and there had been a lot of problems with the shipping, but I guess it was finally here.

I got up from the couch and right as I did, the door bell rang. Liam ran in front of me and was bouncing in his place in front of the door. I ruffled his hair and chuckled as I opened the door.

"Good afternoon, sir. Are you Edward Cullen?" The UPS guy greeted me.

"Yes I am."

"Great!" He handed me the box. "Now I just need you to sign here." He handed over the tablet PC he had and showed me where to sign. I signed my name and Liam was trying to get the box out of my hands. "Have a good day, sir."

"You too." I said and closed the door when he walked away. I turned back to Liam and I let him have the box.

"Mom! Look! It's here!" When I turned around, I saw Bella was in the foyer now with a look of interest on her face as she looked at our joyous son.

"What is it?" She asked as she walked over to him. He already had it down on the ground as he tried to open it.

"It's my new baseball bat!" He said and tried to peel some of the tape off.

I was confused when I saw Bella's face fall for a second, but she recovered quickly. She crossed her arms in front of her and smiled for Liam. It was an act though.

"Oh hurry up and open it! I can't wait to see it!"

"Dad! Help me out over here!" He said because he was getting nowhere by trying to peel the big piece of tape off.

I was snapped out of looking at Bella and trying to figure out why she looked so hurt there for a second. I walked over to the ring near the door and took my keys off of it. I used the keys to cut the tape off, and once I did, Liam was back to tearing it apart.

I laughed. "Calm down, bud."

He just ignored me and he finally made it to the bat.

"Yes!" He said enthusiastically as he pulled out the black and red Miken baseball bat.

It looked really nice. We spent at least an hour on the computer trying to find one that lived up to his standards. He was very picky when it came to his baseball stuff. He held it in his hands and traced the length of it with his hand. His face was one of awe and happiness. It was worth the $200 that I spent on it to see his face like that. He moved it so he could look at the base of it. "That is so cool!"

"What is?" Bella asked. He walked over to her and showed her the base of the bat. "Oh that is cool! It says your name!"

He handed the bat over to Bella and then ran at me. He wrapped his arms around my stomach and squeezed me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I laughed and hugged him back. I bent my head down to kiss the top of his head. "Anything for you, kid."

He smiled at me and then ran to Bella to get his bat back. Bella was still looking off, and it was driving me crazy to see her like that. She must have noticed me staring and she looked over at me. She gave me a reassuring smile, but I saw right through it. I walked over to her and wrapped my right arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. She put her arm around my waist and rested her head on my chest.

"Peyton! Peyton, come here!" Liam called and I could hear Peyton's exasperated sigh from the living room. I laughed and so did Bella. Peyton obviously didn't want to be bothered.

She walked into the room holding one of her dolls by the legs. "I was a little busy, Liam."

"No you weren't, you were playing with dolls. Come here! Come look at my new bat!"

She sighed and walked over to him. She looked over the bat. "It's not pink."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Duh. I don't like pink."

"It would be prettier if it was pink."

"It's not supposed to be pretty, Peyton!" He said with a small laugh. Watching them interact was always a nice thing to see and usually had me laughing. I looked down at Bella, and she was laughing, but I saw some tears in her eyes. I really needed to talk with her. She wasn't acting like herself. She was always a crier, but crying over this?

"Oh, okay. Well then it is nice then!" Liam rolled his eyes and lifted the bat into the position he would hold it if he was hitting. He had a good stance and he looked like a pro. "Can I hold it?"

"No! No way!"

"Liam, come on. Just let her hold it for a second." I said.

He sighed. "Fine." He held the bat out to her. She picked it up and the top of it instantly hit the floor causing a loud noise to erupt. Liam cringed. "Be careful!"

"Here! I don't want it anymore! That is too heavy!" It was funny that she couldn't even hold the bat. She was just so small.

Liam took it from her. "You are such a wimp." He said.

"I know you are but what am I?" She yelled and I laughed.

I leaned over to Bella. "I taught her that one." I whispered in her ear and she laughed.

"Nice, teaching our daughter Pee-wee Herman quotes."

"Pee-wee Herman is the shit."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, babe."

I kissed her forehead and there was a loud knock on the door. "Let me in, people! It's freezing out here!" I heard my brother yell from behind the door.

"Uncle Emmett!" Liam and Peyton both yelled and ran for the door.

I kissed Bella and took her by the hand to the door with me. I didn't like her being away from me especially when we were in the same house and she didn't seem to have a problem with it.

I opened the door and Emmett walked in right away to get away from the cold. Peyton immediately jumped into his arms and he kissed her cheek.

"Uncle Emmett! Look at my new bat!" Liam said holding to bat out to him.

"Whoa, dude, that is awesome!" Liam had a proud smile on his face and I had a feeling he wouldn't let go of that bat for a long time.

"Are we going to your house now, Uncle Em?" Peyton asked him.

"Sure thing, short stuff. I just got out of work and am heading home now."

She squirmed out of his arms. "Okay! Let me go get my jacket!" She ran out of the room and Liam followed her.

Emmett chuckled and looked over to us. "Hey, guys. How's it going?"

"It's going good, man. How are you?"

"Fantastic. Life is great."

Bella wrapped her arm around my waist and I noticed she needed the support. I know Emmett didn't mean any harm when he said that, but it seemed to hurt Bella a little. This also confused me because I thought life was pretty great as well…_why didn't she?_

He looked at Bella. "You doing okay, Bella?"

She cleared her throat. "Yeah, I am okay. Just settling in you know."

"Good, good. It must be hard since you were gone so long, things have changed a lot over here."

I tensed when he said that. There really was no need for it. She was already struggling enough. I loved my brother, but sometimes his non-existent filter between what he is thinking and what he says really pisses me off.

"Yeah, you are right." She said and then let go of my waist. "I will go help them get ready." She walked out of the room with her arms crossed over her chest.

I turned to Emmett. "Was that really necessary, Emmett?" I whispered harshly.

"What? It was true."

"That doesn't fucking matter, Emmett. I know you may not have noticed this because you don't care to notice or whatever, but she is having a hard time. She is sober, but she isn't fully here. You don't need to remind her of it whenever you get the chance."

He stepped back from me. "Whoa, I didn't mean it to hurt her, bro. I wasn't thinking."

I stepped back as well. I was already aggravated as it was, I didn't want to start a fight with him over it. I had other way more important things on my plate.

"I know you aren't very happy with her, but she is trying. Give her a little credit, and watch what you say to her and in front of our children."

He nodded his head. "Fine, I didn't mean it like that, Edward. I swear."

I sighed. "Then I believe you, but just keep that in mind."

He nodded and Peyton and Liam both ran into the room with their jackets on. Liam hugged me around my waist and said a quick goodbye before running out the door to Emmett's car. Emmett waited at the door.

Peyton pulled on my shirt, and I lifted her up in my arms. She hugged me around my neck. She pulled away after a second and cupped her little hands around my ear. "Mommy is sad. Make her feel better, okay?" She whispered into my ear.

She moved her hands from my ear and I kissed her forehead. "I will, baby. I promise." At least I would try…

"Thank you." She kissed my cheek. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, princess." I set her back down on the floor, and she ran over to Emmett and grabbed his hand. He gave me a smile and wave, and then they were gone.

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. After I was calmed down a little, I went to go find Bella. She wasn't in the kitchen or the living room, so she must have gone upstairs. I walked up the steps slowly, and when I got closer to our room, I heard her talking…_who was she talking to?_

"Yes…Isabella Cullen." She said. I waited outside the door, she was on the phone with someone I guessed. "Yeah I made the order about three days ago, and I just want to cancel it." She answered some more questions with either a 'yes' or 'no'. I was confused as to what she was talking about. "Yes, it was a children's baseball bat…I have the order number somewhere, hold on…"

_Oh fuck. _

No wonder she looked so hurt when Liam was showing her the bat I ordered for him! She ordered him one too as a surprise and I ruined that. I knew it wasn't my fault because I had no idea and I ordered it before she was even back, but it still made me feel horrible. I could literally feel how bad she must have felt when she saw that her plan on surprising him, and buying him something for the first time in a long time didn't work out.

_My poor Bella. _

The phone call didn't last that much longer, and she was able to cancel the order. I was stuck in my spot outside the door and she nearly walked into my when she walked out.

"Edward! What are you doing here?" She asked nervously.

"I live here, love."

She smiled. "I know that, baby. I just mean outside the door."

"I heard you talking to someone and I didn't want to interrupt."

Her face got red. _Why was she getting embarrassed in front of me? Where was my wife?_

"Oh, so I guess you heard." She said without looking in my eyes.

I put my finger under her chin and lifted her face. She looked so tired and distant. "I'm sorry, love. I had no idea that you ordered that for him."

She took my hand from under her chin and laced her fingers with mine. "I know you didn't. I was just excited about it; I thought he would really like it."

"He would have!" She shook her head. "No he would have liked it." I told her again to get it through her head.

"It was green…he seemed to really like the red."

I sighed and pulled her to my chest. I kissed the top of her head. "He would have loved it just because it came from you."

She nodded her head against my chest. "I just feel like no matter what I do, I won't be able to make up for what I did. I feel like they are going to grow up and realize what a horrible mother I was…"

"You weren't a horrible mother, Bella. You were going through some stuff, and you did the best you could."

She pulled away from me.

"But that wasn't good enough!" She yelled. "It wasn't good enough! I screwed up and I ruined any kind of relationship I could have with my children. You are their constant, and they will always see you that way! Me? Me, I am just their Mom that comes and goes…they are probably just waiting for the next time I will leave!"

She was crying now and I was hurt to hear what she was feeling, but I was glad she was letting it out. "Then prove to them that will never happen again, Bella!" I said with a raised voice.

"It's not that easy!" She yelled at me with the tears falling relentlessly down her face. I knew she wasn't mad at me, she was upset with herself right now, and if yelling at me will help her, I wouldn't mind.

"Of course it's not fucking easy, Bella!" I was yelling too now. I wasn't mad at her per say…I was more just mad at the fact that she was beating herself over something that happened in the past. "Just because it isn't easy and it is going to take time does not mean you should get discouraged at every moment."

"The damage I did is permanent. I failed…"

"Bella shut up!" I yelled and she jumped. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. "What happened is in the past! There is always room for change. You say I will always be their constant, but don't you see how easily that could change?"

"You would never do that though…"

"So you are telling me that you are thinking about leaving?"

"No! No of course not! I wouldn't leave unless you told me to."

"First of all, that will never happen and second of all, if you aren't leaving, what are you so worried about?" She covered her face with her hands as her body shook with sobs. I sighed. "Oh Bella…" I stepped towards her and pulled her to my chest again but she pushed me away.

"I'm fine."

"See! You are pushing me away, love! What is the matter?"

She crossed her arms over her chest holding herself together. "I don't know, baby. I don't know what is going on with me."

"I am going to call Julia. I am going to schedule us a joint appointment so we can get some of this sorted out. I hate seeing you like this, love."

She nodded and wiped those horrible tears off her face. "Okay. I will do anything you want me to, Edward. Anything."

I took a step closer to her. "I would do the same for you, love."

She gave me a small smile but the tears were still falling. "I know, but the only difference is that you already proved that to me."

I shook my head. "I completely disagree, but I guess we can talk about that with Julia." She nodded her head. "But for now, just let me hold you, Bella. Please."

She smiled and took a few steps toward me and I met her half way. She went to put her arms around my neck, but I bent forward and lifted her in my arms bridal style. She giggled _her _giggle, and I kissed her nose. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I led us to the bedroom.

"I thought you wanted to hold me, not sexify me." She said jokingly and I laughed at her.

"Do you think that's what's happening right now?"

"Well more like hoping really…"

"Nope." I walked to the side of the bed and dropped her onto it.

She was laughing hysterically and she pulled my shirt so I fell on top of her. She kissed my lips and tried to get my shirt off. I took it off, but we weren't going to be doing what she thought we were.

"Not now, love." I said against her lips.

She pulled away. "Not now? Is my husband denying me some lovin'?"

I laughed. "You're cute, and yes I am. There is plenty of time for that, right now you need rest."

"Plenty of time? What world do you live in, bucko? We have the whole house to ourselves! And you want me to rest?"

"Is there something so wrong with me wanting to just hold my wife and let her get some much needed rest?"

She pushed me off of on top of her and I fell on my back to the side of her. She scooted over so her head was on my bare chest and her fingers played with the dog tags that were resting over my heart.

She sighed. "I guess there is nothing wrong with it as long as said husband promises his wife that he will love her all good and proper tonight."

I laughed and shifted myself so I was lying on my side facing her. "I promise."

She kissed my lips and then rested her head on my chest.

She sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too, beautiful." I kissed the top of her head. "Now go to sleep, I want you to wake up with no bags under your eyes."

She lifted her head. "Is that your nice way of saying you want me to wake up looking less like an ugly old hag?"

"Shut up, Bella!" I laughed and so did she. "You know I don't think that now stop talking and go to sleep."

"Alright, alright…jeez." She rested her head against my chest again. "So bossy." She whispered and I chuckled.

I was rubbing her back, and she was rubbing mine. We were silent for a couple of moments; the only sound was the sound of each of our soft breaths.

"I really missed you, Bella." I whispered. "I missed having these moments with you."

"I know what you mean. I won't ever go back to that person, Edward. I know I have screwed up a lot and I can't promise I won't screw up ever again, but what I can promise is that I will never have another drink. Ever. I won't do it."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. The sincerity and determination in her voice had me incredibly hopeful, and I really believed she could do it.

"That's a good start, love. A very good start."

* * *

"Do you want me to come over, Edward?" Julia asked.

It was almost six, and Charlie was on his way. I called Julia because I was freaking out. I didn't know how she was going to react and I was nervous of what direction this news will push her to.

"No, Julia I couldn't ask that. I just don't know what to do. How do I even begin to tell her?"

"Edward, I can really go there, it is no big deal…"

"I'm sorry, Julia, I just think you being here will only scare her even more."

"That is true. Just relax, Edward. This isn't bad news."

I groaned. "I know, but this is life changing!"

"I already talked to Charlie about this, but I just think you should sit her down, and sit with her, Edward. You being close to her will help. Give her a brief description on what caused you to find out so she gets the entire story ahead of time, and just tell her."

"Should I be the one, or Charlie?"

"I think you should, even though Charlie is her father, she trusts you the most."

I sighed. "This is going to be so hard."

"Just take a deep breath, everything will be fine. You know if something happens, you can call me."

"Thanks Julia. I don't even know how you deal with me."

She laughed. "Trust me; your phone calls aren't as hard as my other patients." I laughed. "How is she doing though, Edward?"

"She is okay, I guess. She has her moments though. Her self-esteem is really low, and it is causing her to restrain a little I guess."

"Is it intimacy issues?"

"Not exactly, I mean we have been intimate since she came back, but sometimes she just doesn't want me to touch her, or she pushes me away. She is always on edge and thinking she has to make up for so much." It was surprising how comfortable I was talking to Julia about stuff like that. She has been a really good help through all of this.

"I think a joint session would be best, if you are willing."

"Yes, of course I am. I actually mentioned it to her earlier and she agreed."

"Great! Call the office tomorrow and we can schedule you both an appointment as soon as possible. I have to go now, but good luck, Edward. Everything will be fine."

"Thanks, Julia. Have a good night." We both said goodbye, and I hung up.

I sat down on the couch and rested my elbows on my knees. My right knee was bouncing because of my nerves as I waited for Charlie. Bella was still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake her up, but this waiting was also killing me.

I jumped when I heard soft knocks on the front door. I got up and wiped my sweating hands off on my jeans. I took the hoodie, I had on, off because I was sweating. I placed it on the hook next to the door and opened it. Charlie was on the other side not looking any better than I was.

He walked in silently and I shut the door.

"Is she here?" He asked.

"She is sleeping; she hasn't been sleeping lately so I don't really want to wake her." I told him.

"Is she sick or something?" He asked worriedly.

He really did love Bella already. He called me every day to check up on her, and I saw it was killing him knowing that she had no idea he was her father.

"No, nothing like that. She is just having trouble settling in I guess."

He nodded. "Right, I mean it makes sense. She hasn't been home in so long…"

"Yeah, it is just tough to see her so lost all the time."

"That's because you love her. Maybe I could help her. I mean, I went through something similar. I was in rehab as well, you know."

I never really thought of it like that until that moment. Charlie will be a great person for Bella to have. Not only do they share the same blood, but they also share similar experiences.

I was getting even more hopeful. "I know."

We walked into the living room and Charlie sat down on the chair. "What if she doesn't want anything to do with me?"

I sighed. "I don't think that will happen."

"What do you think will happen?"

"I don't know."

He groaned. "How could you not know?" He was getting impatient, and I understood why.

"I haven't exactly had to tell her that I found her father that she never knew and that her mother kept from her, Charlie."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I am just nervous that's all."

"It's understandable."

He buried his face in his hands. "I am just freaking out. I am just so scared." His voice cracked at the end and I felt bad. I couldn't even imagine what was going through his head at that moment.

"Don't be. I can't tell you what will happen today, but I know things will eventually work themselves out. It will just take some time."

"You're right. I just hope things do go well today." I nodded my head and we sat in silence. "I went to Leah's grave today."

"You did?"

He nodded. "Sue, Seth, and Destiny spent the whole day with me because I was a mess all day. They all helped, they really did, but there were two people missing…my daughters." He looked up at me, and he saw he had my full attention. "I just went there and asked her to look out for Bella. I told her that Bella was going to find out today, and I wanted her to make sure that no matter what happens, Bella will always be okay." He wiped the sides of his eyes and he was close to breaking down. I got up from the couch and stood beside him.

I put my hand on his back. "Thank you, Charlie."

Both of our heads snapped up when we heard footsteps coming down the steps. I patted Charlie on the back once and then sat down on the couch.

It was time.

* * *

**So yeah, you know. lol This wasn't such a bad cliffie right? *nervous laugh***

**I just couldn't keep going! I felt like it didn't really fit in with the tone of this chapter! I am also contemplating writing the big reveal in Bella's POV, but that is not a definite yet, just a possibilitly. I am going to be updating as soon as I can, though so no worries! **

**Thanks to my FFBFF Alexa for pre-reading this for me even though she is not feeling good. I really appreciate it and I really hope you feel better soon! **

**Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans and Happy Rest-of-the-Week to everyone else! I will update ASAP. **

**Review and I will reply! **


	36. Chapter 35: Worth

**Chapter 35: Worth  
December 11, 2010**

**BPOV**

"_You are worthless." She said to me. _

_It wasn't the first time, but being told that never stops hurting. _

"_No, I'm not." _

"_Stop fooling yourself, Isabella." _

"_No…I am worth something to them." _

"_I swear you get stupider and stupider as you get older. Grow the fuck up an open your eyes." _

"_No…"I wanted to say more but the words wouldn't come out. I wanted to scream but the sound wouldn't expel from my mouth. She was wrong. She had to be._

"_They don't need you, Isabella Marie. They will be better off without you." _

"_Please, stop. I am begging you, Renee, stop." I brought my hands to my aching head. Her words were hurting more than they should. I just wanted the constant ache to stop. _

"_Just look. Look how happy they are without you." Her face disappeared and a new scene unfolded before me. _

_My worst nightmare really. _

_They were eating breakfast. My little angel was standing on the chair and entertaining like she always was. She was the total opposite of me, and even Edward, but she was the most perfect little girl in the world. My boy, my son, was sitting on the seat across from her, rolling his eyes at his sister's antics. He was a lot like Edward…so smart and handsome and perfect. _

_Then there was Edward…and _her.

_She had no face, but her hair was blonde, and completely not me. Edward had his arm around her shoulders and her head was resting on his chest. The ring was on his finger, but this one was gold, not silver. I looked down at my hand…my ring was gone. _

"_Edward!" I yelled. _

_He didn't flinch and his eyes didn't leave the woman in his arms. _

"_Edward!" I tried to run to him, to tell him I was there, but I couldn't move, I was stuck in place forced to watch my worst nightmare unfold. "Stop! Make it stop! Please!" I screamed and squeezed my eyes shut; my hands were clamped over my ears and pulling at my hair. I needed to block out the image. _

_I opened my eyes again, and it was gone. _

"_Mommy?" It was Liam. My boy. He was calling for me. _

"_Liam!" I looked around for him, but I couldn't see him. I was looking around frantically until my eyes finally landed on my boy. He was at least 10 feet away from me, I tried to walk towards him, but I couldn't move. _

"_Mommy?" _

"_Liam! I am over here, baby! Look over here!" _

_He looked over at me. "Mommy?" _

"_Yes, baby. It's me. Come over here, I will make you feel better." _

"_No! You're not my Mommy…" _

"_Yes I am…honey, I am your Mommy." _

"_No! No! No! You're not my Mom! Daddy says we don't have a Mom, she left! She doesn't love us! I have no Mommy!" _

"_No! Liam that's not true…" _

_He was crying and he did the same thing I did a moment ago. Tears were falling down his clamped shut eyes and his hands were squeezed over his ears. "I have no Mommy! No Mommy! No Mommy! My Mommy hates me…" _

I woke up gasping for air.

My breaths were coming out short and ragged as I blindly reached for the one thing that would make it go away; the only thing that helped me every single night when I woke up from these dreams. I was reaching and reaching, but all I could feel were the cold sheets beside me.

_He's not here. _

I lifted myself up so I was sitting up in the bed. I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around myself. I dropped my head and tried to take control of my breathing. I was used to this feeling every time I woke up. Many different variations of that dream have been haunting me for so long now. I was hoping that once I was back home and with my children and my husband again, it would go away, but it didn't.

Edward didn't know about it because I didn't want him to. He worries way too much for me already and I hated what I was doing to him. The nightmares were horrible but they became tolerable since I have been home. Whenever I would wake up and feel his warm arms around me and hear the sound of his soft breathing, I would know I was safe and I had no reason to be afraid.

I heard the sound of the front door opening downstairs and I wondered who was here. I got up from the bed and walked over to the window to see who it was. There was a truck outside that I realized was Charlie's since he was the one to pick me up from the airport. Charlie was a good man. I was happy that Edward had him.

I was going to go downstairs right away to visit with him and see Edward, but I guessed I looked like crap. I walked into the bathroom quietly and looked at myself in the mirror, I could hear the hums of Charlie and Edward's voice, but I couldn't hear what they were saying.

The bags that were under my eyes were almost gone, and for that I was thankful. When Edward saw that they were almost gone, he would feel better. That was all that mattered in the end.

The left side of my face was all red and my hair was all messed up from laying on it, and I smoothed it down a little. I rinsed my face with some warm water and took a deep breath. I was getting anxious, and I knew it was because I was alone. I didn't have Edward or the kids in my sight and it had me on edge.

It was a familiar feeling that was thankfully slowly fading away since I got back. I tried not to think of the nights I cried myself to sleep while in rehab. I did a good job pretending throughout the day over there and doing what was expected of me, but once I was alone in my room on that stiff mattress, the coldness surrounding me, I lost it. I thought of what Edward and the kids were doing and wondered if they were missing me as much as I missed them. I hoped they weren't missing me that much. I hoped they weren't feeling the pain I was feeling because I didn't want them in any pain. Especially if it was because of me.

Once I looked a little more presentable I started heading down the hall and down the stairs. When I was in view of the living room, my eyes zeroed in on Edward. He was here; he was in front of me. If being away taught me one thing besides not drinking anymore, it taught me to appreciate that man with everything inside me. Whenever I was near him I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Laugh because I was so happy to have someone like him, and cry because I was afraid I could never give him the same feeling he gave me.

He was looking at me from his spot on the couch, but he looked nervous. I knew Edward like the back of my hand. He may have been trying to hide his anxiety, but I could see right through it. I swear I must know him more than I know myself.

The only thing confusing me was what the anxiety was for. I looked over to Charlie and he was also looking at me. I couldn't read Charlie that well, but he too looked a little nervous.

"Hey, love. Did you have a good nap?" Edward asked and reached his hand out to me.

I would never deny him anything and I walked forward and took his hand in mine. He pulled me towards him and made me sit down beside him.

"Yeah, it was good." I told him the half-truth. It was good to get sleep, but the sleep doesn't seem worth it once that dream happens. I looked over at Charlie who was still looking at me with an expression I couldn't decipher. "Hello, Charlie."

"Hi…" His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "Hi, Bella."

"So what's going on you two? Thinking about watching sports or something?" I really didn't know too much about Charlie and Edward's relationship. I mean, I wasn't stupid. I knew they were really close, and Edward only had the nicest things to say about him, but I didn't really know what they did for fun. Although I do remember them watching sports together at one point.

Edward squeezed my hand and I looked up to him. He was so noticeably nervous now, and I immediately got nervous as well. "No, actually we wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh…alright." I would understand if Edward wanted to tell me something, but why was Charlie here? Things just weren't adding up in my head, so I decided to just listen to what they had to say.

They both exchanged a look before Edward nodded slightly. He shifted himself so he was completely facing me without letting go of my hand.

"Bella…something happened while you were gone."

Panic immediately flooded me. "What?"

"Love, calm down, it wasn't that bad." Just like I could read him so easily, he could also read me. I took a deep breath and squeezed his hand letting him know I was okay. "Thank you, now just listen."

I looked over at Charlie briefly and he was staring straight ahead of him at the wall, but I could tell he was listening intently.

"Okay, I am listening."

"It happened about three months ago…uh…it was actually the day you called." I nodded my head letting him know he could continue. "Well, Sue watched the kids while Charlie and I went to work, and we were on our way home, and when we arrived, Renee was here."

I sucked in a breath and stood up. "What? She was here? What the hell was she doing here?"

Edward pulled on my hand to get me to sit down, but I wouldn't. "Bella, just sit down. There is no need for you to get worked up. Let me finish, alright?"

His beautiful and nervous looking face left me defenseless. I would do anything he asked me. I sat back down beside him and he relaxed a little.

"Okay, I'm sorry; I just hate thinking she was near any of you. What about the protection?" I didn't leave for rehab until I knew I was leaving them protected, and that is why I got the detective.

"That didn't end up working out, but that is for a different time. When I got home, she was outside the door, and Sue wasn't letting her in. Anyway, she saw us, and started taunting us you know how she always does."

I nodded. "She didn't touch the kids right?" That was the main thing I was worried about. I of course didn't want her next to Edward either, but I knew he could take care of himself. My kids however were a different story.

He shook his head immediately. "No, she didn't even lay eyes on them."

That made me relax a little. I didn't want her ever to be near them at all.

I took a deep breath. "Okay…good."

Edward rubbed his thumb along the top of my hand. "Bella…" He got really serious now, and I got nervous once again. "When she was here, she kind of told us something. Something that I know you never knew about."

Something I never knew about? What could he possibly be talking about?

"What? What is it, Edward?" He hesitated and looked over to Charlie. "Edward! Please just tell me!" I was freaking out and this waiting thing was driving me absolutely insane.

"It was about your father."

My heart stopped I am sure and I tensed up. "My father?"

"Yes."

"He's alive?"

"Yes." I got up now.

My father—whoever he was-was alive. The news hit me like a truck and I felt my whole world spin upside down. I always just figured my father was dead. I mean, what kind of father would just leave his child behind? Renee always talked about the times he saw him, but I just figured she was messing with me. I knew he knew about me, Renee told me that much, and as sick and twisted as it may sound, it comforted me to think of him as dead. In my head, if he was alive, that would only mean he really didn't want me, but if he was dead, he would have no way to come find me. That's what I told myself at least.

I always wanted a father. A father was so important to a little girl, and that was only proven by Peyton and Edward's relationship. The two of them have a relationship that no one can touch. Edward was the best thing that ever happened to me, not only because he was everything to me, but he was also everything to my children. The love I had for my children ran so deep, and I couldn't live without them, and Edward was the one who gave them to me, and he was the one who took care of them when I was away. We wouldn't be able to survive without him, he was our life line.

"Who is it, Edward? Did she tell you who he was?" Edward nodded.

_Oh my God. _He looked to me, and then to Charlie. Charlie looked like he was going to cry any minute, and the pieces started to fall into place in my head. I pulled Edward's face to look at me so his eyes would anchor me to the earth.

"Edward…"

"It's Charlie, love. Charlie is your father."

My hand let go of Edward's face like I had been burned. The lump in my throat caused a cough to come out of my mouth. It felt like I was choking. I stepped away from Edward and brought my hands to my head that seemed like it was burning.

"What?" I squeaked out. I looked over at Charlie and he had tears coming from his eyes as he looked back at me.

Edward got up and took my hands in his, but I pushed him away.

"Bella, don't do this right now." Edward looked just as emotional as Charlie and I, and I didn't want to cause him any more distress so I let him take my hands. "Look at me beautiful." I looked away from Charlie and back at him. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know." I looked back at Charlie who was standing now. "Is it true?" I asked him, and he seemed caught off guard that I was talking to him directly.

"Yes, it's true, Bella." He said gruffly.

My face heated with anger. "You knew this whole time! What the hell is wrong with you? Were you just using Edward to…?"

Edward pulled on my hands to get my attention. "Bella, stop it."

"What? Edward I spent my whole life not knowing who my father was and he was right there the whole time…he has other kids and I was alone…"

"Bella, no." Charlie said now and he approached me with his hands up in surrender. "I had no idea."

"But she told me, she said you knew but wanted nothing to do with me."

"She lied!" He yelled but then took a deep breath and said a little calmer. "She lied, Bella. I had no idea. I swear to you."

"So you are telling me you had no idea? She never told you?"

"No. She didn't. Please don't be upset, I promise you if I knew I would have been there the whole time."

"How? I mean…were you a couple?" I held on tightly to Edward's hands. I needed him there at that moment, and whenever I needed him, he was there. I wish he could have said the same about me, but I failed at that already.

He shook his head. "No, it is kind of a long story, but it was a one night thing…I left and she never told me."

I pulled my hands from Edward's and stepped back once again. "How can this be happening?" I asked mostly to myself.

"Are you upset, love?"

"Upset? I am fucking furious. I mean…Jesus; I have literally been lied to my whole entire life. I knew Renee was a bitch, but I never thought she could be this heartless." I wasn't mad that I found my father, that wasn't it at all, but I was not able to enjoy it or explore it because the deep seated anger I had against the woman who singlehandedly ruined my life was over coming me. "How could she do that to me? To her own daughter?" Tears were falling and I started to shake.

Edward stepped over towards me but I stepped back. His touch was so comforting to me, but I hated the look of worry and sadness he wore when he saw me like this. All I do is bring him worry and I hated myself for it.

"Bella, please stop pushing me away." He said, I could tell he was getting a little angry now.

I still batted his hand away though, the tears falling and my body shaking. I was having a panic attack, I just knew it. "It just won't go away, Edward! Fuck…it never ends."

"Charlie, can you just give us a second?" Edward asked in a rushed voice.

"Yeah." Charlie choked out and I looked over at him to see he too was crying even harder now. He wiped his eyes and walked out of the room. I didn't want him crying over me too. I haven't even found out who my father was for five minutes and I already had him crying. All I fucking do is hurt people…I am just like her.

Edward watched him go and then turned back to me. He reached for me again, but I pushed him away. "Fuck, Bella! Stop with this shit. Let me hold you. What has gotten into you, love?" He was getting frustrated with me and I just wanted to relieve him of everything.

"I am sick of always needing you to hold me, Edward." He looked hurt, and I felt even worse. I tried to ease his worries. "No, Edward, I didn't said it to hurt you. I love you, and I love feeling your arms around me, but I am sick of being such a burden! I try, I try so hard to change things to make it easier for you but it never works!"

"Holding you doesn't hurt me, Bella. Comforting you, comforts me, so please don't push me away. I want to help you. I don't even know what must be going through your head right now, but I want to. I want to know so I can help you, love. I just need you to let me." He pushed a piece of hair out of my face and behind my ear.

"I am just sick of it, baby. I am so sick of all of it. All the pain, all the confusion, all the lies…fuck, she ruined me, Edward. She ruined me forever."

He grabbed my hands and I didn't fight him. If this is what he wanted and he swore it made him happy, that is what he would get.

"You aren't ruined, love. You aren't ruined at all."

"I hate her, Edward. I really hate her."

"I know. I know you do."

"How could she do that to her own daughter? She knew who my father was and never told me!"

"I know, honey, just calm down alright? I know you are just trying to process this right now, but I promise if you just shut out Renee and what she did to you out of your mind, you will find yourself in a better state. Charlie…he really wants to know you, Bella."

"He does?" I squeaked out.

"Yes of course he does, you are his daughter."

"He is my father." I stated. It felt kind of liberating to say the words. I had a father. A father was something I thought I would never have.

"That he is."

"Edward, I have a father…he is here." I said in wonder.

He smiled at me. "He is here, love. He wants to be a part of your life, if you will let him."

"You are sure he is my father? I mean, what if he isn't?"

"We can do a paternity test, but just look at him. You two look so much alike."

I took a deep breath. I took Edward's advice and tried to push Renee out of my head. Her decision to keep my father from me was horrible. That one lie changed the course of my life drastically. If she would have told Charlie, I probably would have had a pretty decent life if I had at least one parent there to love me. I probably would have grown up in a loving environment and not in a house where I was afraid to even speak sometimes. But then if that would have happened, I wouldn't have had to live with my mother, and I wouldn't have met Edward. The phrase 'everything happens for a reason' came to my mind, and I was beginning to believe it.

_Would I trade my horrible childhood with Renee and my Edward for a happy life with my father? _

The answer was no.

I would take a million more years living with Renee if it meant I had Edward.

Without him, I would have nothing. I wouldn't have our children and they were my world. The three of them held me to this earth and they were what kept me going even though many times I just wanted to give up.

"He must hate me right now…I just kind of freaked out when you told me."

He shook his head 'no' and pulled me to his chest. I wrapped my arms around him, and inhaled his scent. "He could never hate you, Bella. You are his little girl."

Him saying it like that made me cry even more, but this time it was tears of happiness. I was never someone's little girl. I was never that child at the playground that her parents bragged about. I was never that girl with a father that cherished the ground she walked on. I was just never that girl with parents or blood relatives that loved me until I got my children of course.

"Can you go get him? Can you send him in here and just give us a minute?"

"Absolutely." He pulled my face up towards his and kissed me. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, baby." He kissed my forehead and walked out of the room to get my father.

_My father. _

I walked to the couch with shaky legs. I was nervous for some reason. Something inside me told me I had no reason to be nervous, but it was such a life changing moment in my life right then. I heard footsteps coming into the room, and I looked up as Charlie entered. I got up from the couch and wrung my hands in front of me as he approached. Edward was right…we did look a lot alike. If Charlie wasn't my father, there was a scary resemblance between us that couldn't be explained.

He stopped three feet in front of me. His eyes were puffy and I felt a tug at me heart. I didn't want my Daddy crying.

"Are you doing better?" He asked with a lot of concern in his voice.

I shrugged. "It is just a lot to take in."

"I completely understand, darl…uh, Bella."

"I'm sorry if I scared you, or made you upset. I promise I wasn't upset with you at all. I swear. It was just her. How could she keep it from me?"

He took a step forward. "Your apology isn't needed, Bella. I know what you mean because I became instantly angry once she told me."

"I should have guessed it."

"There was no way for you to know I was your father…"

"No, I mean I should have guessed that she would lie about something like this. She did it all the time."

"You only had her?"

"Barely." He sucked in a breath, and I could tell my answer hurt him. "It's not your fault, Charlie. You didn't know."

"I know, but it still sucks knowing that my daughter had to live with someone like her." Hearing him call me his daughter caused a warm and comfortable feeling in my chest.

"I had Edward, though. Edward made it better."

"I am thankful for Edward more than you know because of that."

"I am thankful for him too." I smiled softly thinking of how much I absolutely adore Edward.

"I am going to be honest, Bella. I don't know what the right thing to do is right now."

"Neither do I."

"We're screwed." We said at the same time, and we both laughed. That moment lightened the air a bit, and I was happy to share my first laugh with my father.

"I was thinking we can just take it slow. We can get to know each other more over time." He said and I nodded.

"I think that will be the best way."

He took a deep, cleansing breath. "Do you think a hug will be too out of order?"

I smiled. "I don't think so."

He smiled and stepped toward me. He opened his arms and I walked right into them. His arms were tight around me and his scent was comforting to me. I wrapped my arms around his middle and he held me tighter.

The moment was very emotional for me, and I broke down right there in my father's arms. I was being held by my father for the first time…something I never thought would happen for me.

He held me up as my legs started to give out. "Shh, darling. I know things have been tough for you, but we are all here for you now. You have your children, you have Edward, you have me, Sue, your brother, your niece…we are all going to help you, Bella. You are important to all of us."

And just like that, I had everything I ever wanted.

I had my kids, I had Edward, and I had a father. I also had a step-mom, a brother, and a niece. Renee may have made my life a living hell, but it was worth it to get to where I am today.

"Thank you." I held onto him a little tighter and my tears were getting on his shirt. "Thank you, Daddy."

* * *

There was no one like him in the world.

Edward Anthony Cullen was the definition of a perfect man in my eyes. It was times like these, times when I was laying in his arms at night and afraid to go to sleep to have the nightmare I always have, when I try and think to myself how he turned out to be so amazing. Edward's childhood wasn't perfect; he lost his parents in such a horrible way when he was so young, but even as a small child, he was strong and made it out as a better person.

He was so strong. Even as a child, he was the strongest person I ever knew. Whenever I saw him weak, I would panic. That would mostly happen the months after his parent's death. I remember seeing my six year old best friend scream and cry because he wanted his Mom and Dad. He would want me to go over every day because he said I made him feel better.

He needed me and he loved me. I would do anything for him; I just wish I wouldn't have screwed up so much. I feel I have no way to repay him.

I heard him chuckle and I looked up at him. He was sleeping of course. He always did that; he was a big sleep talker and sleep laugher apparently. He has done it since he was little, and I never told him about it. It was something only I knew about and that was the way I liked it. I have been able to hear a lot of what comes out of his mouth when he sleeps lately and some of it was just so random and it had me laughing. Him being afraid because a cat was resurrecting from the dead comes to mind.

Watching him sleep was one of my favorite things to do. He looked completely at peace and beautiful. He was always beautiful, but when he slept, there was an innocence in his face that I loved to see. It was the polar opposite of when he was awake and constantly worrying about me and the kids.

I turned my head and kissed his chest lightly. He sighed and rolled over towards me. "Bella." He whispered and I smiled. He was now lying on his side with his face right in front of mine. I brought my hand to his hair and gently ran my hand through it. A few pieces were right over his forehead and I knew how much he hated his hair in his face. He was always running his hand through his hair to get it out of his face and that was why it was always such a mess. It worked for him though.

I stopped my hand in his hair and started running my thumb over his temple. He sighed contentedly and I loved that I was comforting him even in sleep. I stopped however when I heard light footsteps coming from across the hall. Peyton must have been up for some reason. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead lightly before putting my pillow in his arms so he wouldn't wake up when he felt I was gone. He needed his sleep.

I walked out of the room and looked to see Peyton's door was open. I went over there and her bed was empty. I looked down the hall and Liam's door was open as well. I walked over to his room and I smiled and almost cried. I don't know how two people so perfect could have came from someone like me. I knew they must have got it all from Edward.

Peyton was climbing onto Liam's bed and she was shaking him. "Liam." She whispered. "Liam, wake up, please."

Liam woke up and looked over in her direction. He stretched his arms above him. "What are you doing?" He asked groggily.

"I had a bad dream, Liam. Can I sleep in here with you?" She asked shakily. _My poor little angel. _

Liam sighed. "Aw come on, Peyton. You always kick me."

"No I don't!"

"You do! And you take my blankets."

"You're crazy! I am sleeping! I can't do all that while I am sleeping!" I laughed softly at their banter and I was so happy that they were able to experience that. They didn't always get along, but that was part of the experience. Having a sibling was a very important thing. I always wanted a sibling…and now I do. I have Seth. I didn't know him at all, but I hoped he would want to get to know me, because I would love having a brother.

"Why don't you just go to Mom and Dad's bed?" He asked. Peyton crawled closer to him and lay down beside him under the blankets.

"Because Mommy and Daddy are sleeping."

"I was sleeping too!"

"Yeah but Mommy and Daddy are old…they need more sleep." I couldn't hold in my laugh, and I walked into the room. Both of them looked over to me and smiled. The fact that their faces still lit up when I walked in the room made me exceptionally happy. They could have easily turned to hating me for leaving. I knew Edward was a big part of that, and I was again in debt to him.

"What are you two doing up?" I asked as I walked over to the bed. I sat on the edge by Liam and they were both looking at me.

"I had a bad dream, Mommy."

"Aw come here, pretty girl." I said and reached my arms out to her. She got up from her position lying down and reached over Liam. I took her in my arms and she rested her head on my chest and I held her close. "Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes talking about your dreams will make you feel better." I realized I should have taken my own advice, but that was different. I was an adult; I needed to take care of myself for once instead of making Edward do it all the time.

She lifted her head and the tears started filling in her eyes. I was expecting a story of a truly horrible dream. "I was eating breakfast. It was pan-c-cakes." She was really getting bent out of shape about this. "Daddy gave me pancakes and then they came alive! They got bigger and bigger and I was s-so s-s-scared." I was trying not to laugh because it was just such a random dream. I guess she had sleeping habits like her father. "They took my fork away from me and poked me in the nose three times! I was calling Daddy to help me b-but he disappeared! And then…hey! Liam stop laughing, it's not funny!" She wiped the tears from her eyes as she hiccupped.

I pulled her to my chest and bit my lip to hold in my laugh. Liam wasn't doing a good job of that as he was laughing hysterically. He was clutching his stomach and rolling around on the bed. Tears were falling out of his eyes and he seemed like he couldn't breathe.

"Liam." I tried to say sternly for Peyton's sake, but a small laugh came out right when I opened my mouth. "Liam stop." I couldn't help it after that point and I started laughing.

"Hey! Hey that's not funny, Mommy! Stop laughing at me!" She pulled away from me and crossed her arms around her chest, the pout on her face.

"Oh, baby, we aren't laughing _at_ you. We just think you are so adorable and funny." I said trying to make her feel a little better.

"It was scary, Mommy. It's not funny."

"I know, honey, but it was just a dream. Do you really think Daddy would just let those pancakes poke you without doing something?"

She looked at me as I spoke and I saw her face get calmer. "No, Daddy would help me."

"Exactly, so there is no need to be afraid. It wasn't real." My laughing was calmer now but Liam was still having trouble.

"Yeah I guess so."

"You're a weirdo." Liam said when he was calm enough.

"I know you are but what am I?" Damn Edward teaching her such things. That will be here comeback for everything from now on I am sure.

"A loser!"

"I know you are but…"

"Alright, alright, that's enough. It's time to go back to bed. It is late." I said stopping that argument before it got out of hand.

"Can I sleep with you, Mommy?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah me too, Mom. Please?"

I couldn't say no to such faces. "Sure, maybe we should sleep in here though so we don't wake Daddy."

"Yeah but then Daddy will feel left out!" Peyton said.

She had a point. I know Edward wouldn't necessarily be mad if I slept with the kids in Liam's room, but I wouldn't feel right knowing that I was in here with them and he was alone in the other room. "You're right, so let's go." I got up from the bed with Peyton still clinging to me and Liam hopped out of his bed and grabbed my hand.

When we entered the room, Edward was still in the position I left him. I walked up to the bed and exchanged the pillow with our daughter. She curled up to his bare chest and sighed contentedly. Liam and I both climbed into the bed, and Edward started to stir with the movement. Liam was curled up on my right side.

"Bella…what's going on?" He asked groggily. He was awake this time, but just barely.

"Peyton had a bad dream. They are just going to sleep with us tonight."

"Liam's here too?" He asked. His eyes were barely able to stay open.

"I'm right here, Dad." Liam said from my side and I kissed the top of his head.

Edward smiled. "Hey, bud." He looked down at Peyton. "You feeling better now, baby girl?"

"Yes, I know you would save me from the pancakes, Daddy."

Edward eyes opened and a look of confusion came over his face and Liam and I laughed. "I'm not even going to ask." Edward said and shut his eyes again.

I leaned over a little and kissed his nose. "I will tell you in the morning…just go back to sleep."

"Mmm…whatever you say. I love you all." He mumbled.

I smiled. "We love you, too." I whispered.

I was surrounded by the three most important people in my life; my son and daughter who brightened up my life and made everything worth it and my husband, my Edward. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be alive and I wouldn't have my children. He was everything, and I needed to find a way to make myself worthy of his love and commitment.

I want to give him as much as he gave me.

* * *

**Well what do you all think about Bella? I have to tell you I really enjoyed writing her just because I knew this whole time what was going through Bella's head and it was nice to actually get it out! **

**Special thanks to Alexa once again for pre-reading this for me. You want to know how great she is? She pre-read this for me even when it was super late and she was sick! I realize how lucky I am to have her as a friend though, so no worries. Lol **

**Review please; I would really like to hear what you all think of Bella. I will reply like I did last time :]**


	37. Chapter 36: Feeling

**Chapter 36: Feeling  
December 14, 2010**

**EPOV **

"Do you want anymore, babe?" Bella asked me.

I wanted to say yes because the full breakfast she cooked was absolutely amazing, but I didn't think my stomach could have taken any more. I already had two huge plates with bacon, eggs, home fries, and toast. Bella's cooking was amazing and she has been cooking breakfasts like this since she got back.

It really was too much, and she was really wearing herself out with how much she has been trying to do everything for us all the time. She was constantly cleaning, cooking, or doing stuff for us every second of the day it seems. I only got her to really relax with me for a little while in the day. She was trying too hard. This day in therapy will hopefully help with that.

"No, I think that's enough for me today." She nodded and brought the pan with her back to the stove. "Bella, come, sit down and eat." Yeah, that whole time I was eating and the kids were eating, she was doing dishes and glass refills.

"I will eat later. I'm not that hungry right now." She turned the faucet on and started washing a pan.

I sighed and turned back to the table where Peyton and Liam were both eating silently. They were only silent because their mouths were full though.

"I get to finger paint today, Daddy." Peyton told me as she stabbed a potato with her fork. Everything on her plate was mixed together including her toast which was covered in ketchup. That is pretty disgusting if you ask me, but it doesn't bother Peyton.

"That's nice, princess."

"But it is so weird…why would you want to paint your fingers?" Peyton wondered.

Bella and I both laughed and Liam rolled his eyes. "You don't paint _on _your fingers, you paint _with _your fingers, crazy." Liam said.

"Oh really?" She asked, completely interested despite the fact that Liam called her crazy. "That's even weirder, why don't you just use a paint brush?"

We all laughed this time and she just shrugged.

"Just enjoy the experience, honey, it's fun." I said and she smiled at me and kept on eating.

I heard the faucet turn off behind me and then Bella's voice. "Alright, well I am going to put my shoes on and then we can leave."

I got up. "I can bring them to school, Bella."

"No, sit down, baby. I can bring them. You can rest; you are the one who has work anyway."

"I don't have work until four. I'm bringing them." There was no way I was going to let this go. She really was working way too hard and I needed to make her stop it. I don't mind her helping, but she can't do everything.

"But Edward…" I shut her up by giving her a quick kiss on the mouth, and she relaxed under my touch.

I kissed her again. "I'm bringing them. Got it?"

"Edward please let me do this..."

"No." I gave her another peck.

She sighed and I could feel it on my face since we were so close. "Please?" She asked once again.

"No…I am the man, and I say no."

She chuckled and I kissed her again. "I hate you." She said.

"I love you."

"Yeah I was just kidding, I love you too."

"So I am going right?"

"Fine, but you have to give me another kiss or it's not happening."

"Not a kiss!" I said in mock fear and she shut me up with her lips.

It was moments like this where we can just joke around and kiss and be ourselves that I realize that _my _Bella was still here. It was still her, and I still loved her completely, but she is just acting differently and I would do anything to help her find that balance.

"Stop kissing or I am running away!" Liam suddenly yelled and banged his hand on the top of the table. Bella and I pulled away and laughed at him.

"No! Liam don't run away!"Peyton cried. Unlike Liam, she was serious. She sounded on the verge of tears actually.

"Peyton, I was just kidding, chill out." Liam said in a softer, soothing voice to Peyton. He must have noticed how the thought of him running away made her upset.

"Oh thank God, you scared the bujeebers out of me, Liam." She had her little hand over her heart and Bella and I laughed.

"Alright, come on you two, it's time to go to school." I said and they both got up from the table. Bella went to go pick up their plates. "Bella, no. Let them clean up their own plates."

Liam and Peyton both sighed in annoyance at having to do it, but otherwise didn't make a fuss. Luckily Bella did listen to me, even though I know she was tempted not to. But this was different; making our children do chores was a way of building their character in a way. They don't need to get used to having everything be done for them. Bella understood that it was best for them.

All three of us were bundled up and ready to go face the cold in a matter of 10 minutes. With it being so close to Christmas, and the middle of December, it was already starting to snow. Bella had both of them bundled up really well, but they were at least still able to breathe and move. Bella kissed the spots on their faces that were visible and they hugged her the best they could with their puffy jackets. Bella got up from hugging them and gave me a quick kiss. I wasn't wearing a hat; I just had my hood up.

I picked up Peyton so she wouldn't slip down the steps and we shuffled to the car. Peyton begged me to stop and make a snowball for her on the way, but I told her no. She wasn't planning on throwing it; she just wanted to hold it. She got mad at me and was pouting in the back seat. I got in the car and started driving off.

"Peyton, don't be mad at me. You can't just hold a snowball the whole ride to school."

"Why not?" She was still pouting with her arms crossed as best she could with her jacket.

"It will melt! Snow is just really cold water."

"It's just water, Daddy. Water dries."

I sighed. "That's not the point. You would get cold."

"I don't mind being cold."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Peyton, I'm not fighting with you about this." I saw her sticking her tongue out at me in the rear view mirror but decided to just act like I never saw it. I wasn't in the mood to get in a fight with my three year old on the pros and cons on holding a fucking snowball.

"Hey, Dad?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, bud?"

"Do you and Grampie Charlie have to work tonight?" It was still a little strange hearing them refer to him as their grandfather.

Bella, Charlie, and I sat down with them the day after Bella found out and we told them that Charlie was Bella's father and that in turn meant that he was their grandfather. They obviously had a lot of questions, but between the three of us, we answered them all the best we could, and they seemed satisfied at the end. Actually, they were ecstatic at having another grandfather.

Bella was happy about Charlie being her father. Her reaction to the news was nothing I wasn't expecting, and I just knew that after the initial shock and confusion, Bella would welcome him with open arms. Bella was a very loving person, but she just never found the right people to give that love to. So Bella having her father to give that love to, made her happy, and I loved seeing her happy.

"Yes we do, why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I was kind of hoping we could go to the baseball field like we did on Sunday."

Sunday was the day we told the kids about Charlie, and in celebration, we all went to the park. By 'all' I mean Bella, myself, the kids, Charlie, Sue, Seth, and Destiny. It was a really great day and it was nice seeing Bella interacting with her new family. She was actually pretty shy, but she ended up opening up more.

Her and Seth got to talking for a little while, and Bella acquired a new admirer. Little Destiny was in absolute love with Bella right from the get-go. She was only about three months, but I could tell she recognized Bella. She would snuggle up in Bella's arms when Bella held her, and would cry if anyone took her away. It made Bella smile, so I in turn smiled.

"We can't be doing that every day, but maybe we can make it a tradition. Sunday will be 'going to the park and having family around day'."

"Can we invite Nana and Grandpa too?"

"Sure." I was hoping they would be okay with that.

My family didn't know about Charlie yet, but we were planning on telling them. My side of the family were so caught up on everything else in their lives that we don't talk as much. At least that is what I tell myself. I hope that they don't call me as much because of Bella or else I would be pissed off. They were too judgmental about Bella, and I would wait patiently for them to get the sticks out of their asses if that is what their problem was.

Because in the end, I would always side with Bella.

* * *

When I got home, I went into the back to get the shovel and clear off the steps and the driveway. The snow was really starting to build up, and I didn't want people slipping all over the place. When I was finished, I put salt on the steps and walked into the house.

The heated house felt great and I took off my wet boots and pants at the door. I picked them up and brought them to the laundry room and slipped on a pair of pajama bottoms that Bella already had folded on top of the dryer. I left my wet coat in there as well, and then went to find Bella. I was surprised she didn't come outside and make me leave while she shoveled the driveway herself with the way she has been acting.

All my questions were answered though when I found her in the living room. She was sitting cross legged on the couch with a baby lying on her chest. I knew from the full head of jet black hair that it was Destiny and her big blue eyes were open and looking in my direction. She was content just lying on Bella as Bella was running her hand through her hair.

"Uh…Bella is there something you have to tell me?" I asked teasingly as I walked into the room.

"Yes Edward, I had a baby while you were gone. I have been keeping it a secret this whole time. Please don't hate me." I laughed at her comeback and sat down beside her so I could see Destiny's face.

"Hey, pretty baby." I said to Destiny and ran my finger along her cheek. She smiled slightly and I smiled back. "Not that I'm complaining, but what is she doing here?" I asked Bella.

"Andrea bailed once again." She said with a sigh.

"Are you serious?" Bella nodded and I looked back down at Destiny. She was so little and innocent and her mother was being such a bitch. She has Seth of course, but a mother is important to a child. "What a bitch."

"I know. It pisses me the hell off." She inhaled sharply and let her breath out quickly. She was getting worked up about it, and I think I know why.

"Hey." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "Calm down, love." She rested her head on my shoulder, but she was still tense. "Things will work out. She has Seth; she has all her family including you…"

"I know that, babe, but she will want to know what having a mother feels like."

"Maybe she will turn her life around and she will, or maybe Seth gets a new girlfriend or…"

"I don't really want to talk about it anymore, Edward."

I dropped it and tried to keep from snapping. She kept on shutting me out. It was driving me absolutely insane and it frustrated me to no end. Bella never shuts me out. She always spoke her mind to me because we were best friends. Now she was shutting me out, and I was really getting sick of it.

_I hope our therapy session can give me some piece of mind because I needed her. _

"Okay." I said.

"Don't think I forgot our appointment though. I told Seth, and apparently Andrea will be here to pick her up at 11, so we will have plenty of time."

"Okay." I took my arm out from around her and shifted so I was facing her with my arms out. "Let me hold her."

Bella smiled at me and started lifting Destiny from her chest while supporting her head. Destiny instantly started whimpering. "It's okay, honey, you are just going to see Uncle Edward."

She lifted her and passed her over to me. She was curled up with her little arms stretched out. She was so small. I gently placed her in the crook of my right arm so she could still have view of Bella, but she was still whimpering and squirming.

"Oh come on, Destiny, you always let her hold you. Do I smell or something?"

Bella chuckled and scooted over towards me so she was tucked into my side and she was able to run her left hand through Destiny's hair. Just her touch made her calm down a little and relax in my arms.

"There you go. See, she doesn't think you smell." I smiled down at the baby. "But me on the other hand, I think you are smelling kind of funny."

I gasped in mock horror. "Take that back!"

"Make me."

"Oh you are so lucky I have Destiny holding me back right now." She laughed loudly and buried her face in my chest to stifle her laughs since she made poor Destiny jump at the sound.

"You're insane."

I shrugged. "Oh well." I pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. "So uh…what do you think about maybe doing this again?"

"Doing what again?"

"Oh you know, babies…more children."

"You want more kids?" She asked while looking at me.

"Well sure, I mean only if you want to."

She looked back down at Destiny who was now playing with Bella's hand. "I would love more kids, just not now, you know?"

"Oh of course not, I know that, I just mean in the future. I think it would be nice. I mean our spawns are pretty cute."

She laughed but hit me on the shoulder. "Don't call our children 'spawns'."

"What? I said they were cute too." I said defensively.

She laughed. "Yeah they are, aren't they?" I nodded. "So you want to make a deal now? We will try for another spawn in the near future." He held her pinky out to me and I chuckled.

I linked my pinky with hers. "Deal."

* * *

Bella leg was bouncing up and down in her spot beside me.

I didn't know if it was her nerves for the session we were about to have, or having to face Destiny's mother not too long ago. She showed up 45 minutes late, and she showed up with one of her new boyfriends to pick Destiny. I didn't get a good look of him, but I could see the cigarette dangling from his hand that was stretched out the window. The situation must have hit too close to home with Bella and she has been practically unresponsive since they drove off.

Now we were in the waiting room waiting for Julia to call us in. I'm not going to lie, I was even nervous myself. I don't know why, because this was me and Bella we were talking about, but I guess I was just afraid that this therapy wouldn't work.

"Edward, Bella, Julia will see you now." The secretary said.

Bella and I exchanged a look, and I reached down to grab her hand. She gave mine a squeeze and we walked to Julia's office together.

My nerves were twisting with every step that we took closer to the door. I didn't understand it, but I guess a part of me was afraid this will be for nothing. I feared that we would be stuck in this spot for a really long time.

Bella seemed more put together than how I was feeling. Either that or she was hiding it from me. When we got inside, Julia was already sitting at her chair with her yellow pad of paper on her lap. She was writing something down but looked up when she saw us.

"Edward, Bella, just take a seat across from me." She said gesturing to the loveseat in front of her.

Bella lead us over to it, and she sat on the right and I on the left. We sat on each end of the couch; we weren't that close to each other. The only contact we had was our enjoined hands between us.

Julia looked back up at us. "How are the two of you this afternoon?"

"Good." We both said at the same time. We looked at each other and smiled slightly. When I got a good look at her eyes, I could tell she was nervous too.

Julia chuckled. "Okay, well why don't we just get started alright. Bella, I understand that you are having a little trouble adjusting to things at home, am I correct?"

Bella shrugged. "I think I am doing alright."

"I disagree." I said. If we were going to be doing this, I needed to be completely honest.

Julia looked to me. "Okay, Edward, why do you disagree?"

I looked over to Bella and she wasn't looking at me. She was resting her head on her hand and looking in the distance. I could tell she was at least listening though.

"She hasn't been the same."

"The same meaning…" Julia asked, waiting for me to finish.

"She isn't being herself. I know she is in there. I still love her completely, but she is trying too hard."

"Trying hard to do what exactly?" Julia asked and wrote something down on her paper.

"I don't really know. It seems like she is punishing herself or something."

Julia looked to Bella. "Is that true, Bella? Are you punishing yourself?"

Bella put her hand down that was supporting her head and took a deep breath. "I…I wouldn't say punishing…or maybe that is it. I deserve it though."

"You don't at all, Bella." I said looking over at her. She still refused to meet my eyes.

"I know that's what you think, but I do deserve it. I feel I don't even deserve to be in the same household as you and the kids after what I did to you." She said softly and started picking at a piece of lint on her pants. Our hands were still clasped between us.

"Bella that is just stupid…"

"Wait." Julia said. "Edward, she doesn't need to be attacked."

"I'm not attacking her…"

"I know you may not feel like you are, but you just told her what she is feeling is stupid and that is not true, Edward. Her feelings are very normal."

I didn't say anything after that. I was irrationally upset at that moment. I wasn't so much upset with Bella, it was just upsetting me to think that was how she was feeling. She doesn't deserve to feel that way. What kind of husband was I if I didn't make sure my wife felt secure and good about herself and her position in our family?

"Now, Edward, do you want to tell me what Bella has been doing that concerns you the most?"

"Sure, uh, she is always over doing everything. She cleans the house constantly. Does every little thing for the kids, and she pretty much makes it so I don't have to lift a finger. And sometimes I can feel her pulling herself away from me. She shuts me out at random intervals."

Julia nodded and looked to Bella. "What do you have to say about that, Bella?"

She shrugged. "He is right. I do try and do everything." She finally looked at me. "And I don't mean to shut you out, baby, I just…" She stopped and looked away with a deep breath.

"What, love?" I asked.

"I just feel that if I do those things, I can somehow make up for all that time that I left you to do all of that on your own. I feel so small being with you, Edward, and it isn't because I don't think you love me, because I know you do and it isn't because I don't love you. I love you so much it goes beyond anything I have ever felt, but I don't feel worthy." She took another deep breath and I knew she was holding back her tears. "You are just everything that is good in my eyes, and I don't feel like I could ever live up to that."

I didn't know what to say. My first instinct was to tell her she was wrong, because she was 100% wrong, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings or 'attack' her like Julia said earlier.

"Bella…that's not true." I kept it simple.

"Edward is right, Bella. All of these feelings you have are normal, okay? But you need to look outside that and see just how irrational it is. You and Edward are married. You promised to love each other through thick and thin, sickness and health, and to me, you both have done that."

"Bella, she is right. I don't feel in any way, shape, or form that you are lower than me, love." She was looking away from me, but I wanted her to look at me on her own accord. I wanted her to be comfortable. "You are my equal; we have been one in the same for as long as I can remember. You made a mistake, yes. I know that, Bella. I made a lot of sacrifices for you, me, and the kids, yes. I know that. Did it suck? Yes, it did. Did it hurt like hell to see my family literally crumble before my eyes? It sure as hell did."

A tear finally broke through and she swiped it away before it was even really visible. I wanted to stop her pain, but this needed to be said. "If I could go back, I still wouldn't have given up on you, love. It was hard, but we made it through. Do you realize what that says about us as a couple?"

"I know, Edward. I understand what you are saying, but you shouldn't have had to do it in the first place! I caused so much pain for you and the kids! I can't take that back ever again! I screwed everything up!" She tried to pull her hand from mine, but I pulled it back. She wasn't going to close herself off again.

"Are you saying you wouldn't have done the same for me? If I was in your position, if I was an alcoholic and was spiraling to a dark place, would you have given up on me?"

"Absolutely not!" She had more tears falling, and she wiped them away. "I would do anything for you."

"Well you just proved my point." I leaned back on the seat. "We are more equal than you think, love."

Bella didn't have anything else to say, and she looked in the opposite direction of me.

"Okay." Julia said. "I think I see where your problems lie." Bella looked over to her, and so did I.

"All that you just said, have you ever told each other theses things?" I shook my head almost in shame really, and so did Bella. _Why did I never tell her this?_ I have thought about it, of course, but I never thought to even talk to her about it. "This is where most couples get stuck especially in situations like these. Communication. Talking about your feelings really helps; more than I think you understand." Julia pushed her glasses up off her face. "Now I want to try something, I do this with all couples who have dealt with addiction, do you mind if we try?"

"Of course." We both said at the same time. We didn't share the glance we did earlier.

"Another problem couples who have dealt with addiction is not having a full understanding of their partner's feelings during the time where the addiction was at its worse." I wasn't really following what she was saying and Julia seemed to notice. "Just listen, I did this too with my husband in therapy, and it helped us drastically." She looked to Bella. "Bella, do you have an understanding of how Edward felt when you were drinking?"

I looked over to Bella, but she was still looking at Julia. She shrugged. "I don't know, I guess he was mad and maybe disappointed…ashamed."

"Whoa, whoa, wait." I said interrupting her. "I was _never_ ashamed of you Bella."

Bella ran her free hand through her hair and sighed. "You should have been."

Her self-loathing completely rubbed me the wrong way. When I heard her speak so lowly of herself, I go into protective mode. I would never let anyone talk bad about her, including her. I got up from the couch and let go of her hand. I walked off to the side and ran my hand through my hair.

"Edward, come and sit down, please." Julia said.

"Can I just stand, please? I need to move around."

"Are you upset, Edward? How are you feeling?"

"Yes, I am upset." I said with a deep breath.

"Why?" Julia asked.

"Because I hate the way she is feeling about herself right now. It is totally and completely not true at all."

"Okay, there is nothing wrong with that, Edward. Now is your chance. Tell Bella what you felt seeing her as an alcoholic. This is what you are supposed to be doing: communicating."

"Fine." I walked back over to the love seat and sat beside Bella. I took both of her hands in mine and made it so she was facing me. "Look at me, Bella." It was a little weird having to do this in front of Julia, but if she really thinks this will help, I have no problem doing it. Bella looked at me. "I love you."

I waited. "I love you, too."

"I know. Do you understand how much that simple fact meant to me through all of this? We love each other. I know that inside me, and that is what kept me going. That and our kids, because you know they are my world as they are yours." Bella nodded. She was still looking at me, and for that I was grateful.

"I love you, but I hated the person you became when you were drunk. I hated you just because you weren't _you._" One tear fell from her eye and I wiped it away with the back of my finger. "Drunk Bella wasn't my best friend that I knew practically all my life. Drunk Bella was the shell of that beautiful person I love. So there were days that I did get mad and I did get pissed off. There were days when I thought we would never get out of this together. The worst days were when I saw how it affected Liam and Peyton. That was the worst." More tears fell and Bella looked away from me at the mention of Liam and Peyton, but I guided her face back with my finger. "Hey, don't get upset, love. That was in the past. Peyton and Liam are thriving right now despite what they went through. They are resilient and strong, and so are you, Bella. You got out of it. I am _so happy_ with the way things turned out for the simple fact that despite all the hardships, our family is still intact. That is enough for me, and I hope it will be enough for you."

Bella jumped forward and wrapped her arms around my neck in a tight hug. She buried her face in my neck and cried.

"I will give you two a minute. I know it is a lot to take in. I will be back." Julia said softly and I looked over at her over Bella's shoulder. She, too looked like she had tears in her eyes.

Bella didn't say anything to me the whole time we were left alone. She just clung to me and I held her close as she cried. I shushed her and rubbed her back, and she had a tight grip of the hair on the back of my head and the back of my t-shirt. I kissed the side of her head a couple of times just as a way of letting her know I love her.

Julia came back soon after, and Bella pulled away from me, and held onto both of my hands. She was still sniffling, but otherwise, she was in control.

"Okay, now, Bella. Edward has shared with you his feelings, did you know all of that already?"

She shook her head. "No, I mean, I had an idea, but I was wrong on some points I guess."

"See, so you would say it helped correct?" Bella nodded. "Good, so Edward, are you ready to hear Bella's side?"

I was scared, but if she could listen to me, I could do the same. "Yes."

"Alright, so Bella, whenever you are ready."

"Uh…where do I start?"

"Start wherever you feel is relevant. Just tell him something to make him understand why you did the things you did."

Bella took a deep breath and nodded. She looked to me. "Edward…um…" She sighed in frustration. "I don't know what to say."

"Okay, Edward, why don't you help her out. Ask her a question; something you have been wanting to know."

I thought about it for a second. "Okay. Why did you do it? If you knew drinking would do this to us, why did you keep drinking?" I felt I may have been too harsh, but Bella didn't seem to mind. She went right into it.

"I don't think there was ever a time when I made a conscious decision to pick up a drink; do you understand what I'm saying?" I shook my head, because I didn't. "There was never a moment when I said to myself, 'I am going to go home, and have a drink.' It was almost like I was in a trance or something. I don't know if I am explaining this right…"

"You are doing fine, Bella. Just sort it out in your head." Julia said.

"I understand what you are saying, love. Just keep going." I told her.

She gave me a small smile. "I felt I had no control, and whenever I did drink, I felt good for a second at least. Then there will be that moment of 'Shit, why am I doing this?'. I would take a break and I would tell myself that that would be the last time. I told myself that a lot, that I wouldn't let it control me anymore, but it obviously didn't work." She stopped there for a second and wiped away a tear that fell from her eye.

"And then I would see you. I would see the way you looked at me when I was drunk; the disappointment and anger, and all of that. I saw it in your eyes, and it made me feel like such a failure. I caused you that pain. Then that would run through my head and I would feel like shit. I hate hurting you, Edward. Seeing you hurt, hurt me, and I hated myself for it and then I would drink again. Again, I didn't make a conscious decision; it was just the only way I knew how to make the pain go away even for a moment. So I would drink more and more and more and it became out of control at that point; a never ending cycle that I was unable to control."

A tear fell from my eye as I listened to how trapped inside herself Bella was. She was stuck inside a body and mind that betrayed her and caused this to happen. She wasn't in control. Bella wiped away my tear for me this time. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. But that wasn't the worst. The worst time was when I wasn't around you. When I was living on my own, I didn't have anything else to do but drink. And I don't really know if I want to say this…" She started choking up just thinking about it, and I immediately got scared.

"Bella, there is no one forcing you to say anything, but it will help."

She looked up at me. "Go ahead, love."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "There were several times when I thought about ending it all."

Her words knocked me in the chest and I tried to keep my composure. She had to let this out. I closed my eyes though and looked down because the pain was radiating within me. That was one of my worst fears. I hated thinking one day Bella would be so depressed, she would just want it to end. I always thought she would never do that, but apparently I was wrong. It hurt to think she went to that place.

"I never got far. I would get a razor and sit in the bathroom, but it would never touch the skin on my wrists. I got a bottle of sleeping pills, but they just ended up on the floor from my shaking so much. I tried the roof of my apartment building, but looking down at the ground, I freaked out." I shook my head and a sob broke out of my throat. I didn't want to hear it anymore. "I'm so sorry, Edward."

She wiped my eyes for me once again while still holding my hands in hers. "That's in the past now, right? You don't think about that anymore?"

"No. Not anymore. After a couple of attempts, I realized I could never do it. I knew I had to at least stay for Liam and Peyton. I love them so much, Edward. They were really what kept me going. They saved my life for just existing. And you…" She wiped my eyes again. "You are my savior. You saved me because you cared when you didn't have to. You loved me despite everything else. And do you want to know the worst part of it all? Do you want to know which days caused me the most pain?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes." I really didn't, but we had to get it out there.

A tear fell from Bella's eye now and I was scared. _What was worse than wanting to kill yourself?_

"It was the days when I genuinely wished I never met you."

A small sob escaped my mouth. "Bella…" I choked out. "What…"

She let go of my hands and held my face. "There were days when I would sit there and imagine that I never complicated your life. I would think about the happy life you would have had devoid of all my shit. I would see you happily married with a perfect girl that loved you completely. You wouldn't have to lose your job or be a single parent or have to feel pain because of me. I saw all that in my head, I could see your happy face, and I would think that that is what you deserved."

"That is ridiculous, Bella." I said.

"I know that now. I would feel happy thinking of you like that until I got to the part where Peyton and Liam didn't exist anymore. Once I got around to that in my fucked up drunk brain, I would cry. I would scream and curl up in the floor in pain because a world without them isn't a world at all. It would be hell. Then I would think of you. You love me, you tell me you need me, and I couldn't imagine taking myself away from you because you are my lifeline. I just wanted you to be happy, Edward, and if that meant I went away, then so be it. But never at the expense of Liam and Peyton."

"I couldn't be happy without you, Bella."

She wiped the tears from my cheeks with both her hands. "I know that now, baby. I know that, and I will do everything I can from now on to be good enough for you the best way I can."

"You don't have to try that hard."

"I will get the hang of it. Just give me time."

"Anything for you, love." I pulled her too my chest, and looked over at Julia who had a tissue in her hand that was at her face.

"I'm sorry, I just can tell you both really made a breakthrough." She said.

"Thank you, Julia. This really helped." I said.

Bella turned her head so she was facing Julia as well. "Thank you for just letting us talk, sorry if we bored you or whatever." Bella said.

"Absolutely not, Bella. I was glad I was a witness to that, actually. You both have a beautiful relationship and you should be very thankful. You are lucky people."

We both look at each other and smiled. I bent down and kissed her forehead.

"We know." We said at the same time and we both laughed while looking at each other.

I was happy in that moment.

And in that moment I knew we were going to be alright.

* * *

** I know last chapter was in Bella's POV, and you got into her head a little bit, but more has been revealed! What do you think? **

**Thanks to my awesome pre-reader and friend Alexa! I look forward to our litte chats every day and our music exchanges lol. Love her! **

**Sadly (for me anyway) there aren't that many chapters left :[ I don't have an exact number, but just to make a guestimation, I would say 4 chapters and an epi left :[ I always hate ending stories. I always miss the characters afterwards. But I do have another story out "Whenever You Call" that I can work on (you could check it out too!) and of course mine and Alexa's joint story "The Roads of Life" (You could check that one out too!)haha**

**I will update again ASAP. **

**Review and I will reply when I have time! Thanks for reading!**


	38. Chapter 37: Family

**Chapter 37: Family  
December 25, 2010**

**EPOV**

Every time it hurts.

Every year, I still feel the loss.

I feel it at random intervals throughout the whole year, but the anniversary of the day always hurts the worse. At least until the sun came up. It hasn't come up yet.

It was four in the morning, but I was wide awake. Bella was sleeping behind me. I was on my side at the right edge of the bed. I didn't want to wake Bella in case I lost my composure.

I was doing alright so far. I knew I would think about them no matter how hard I tried not to, so I tried to think of the good memories. What scared me the most was that my memory of them was faint. Today is the 25th anniversary of their death, and I have trouble thinking back to when I was six years old or before that.

I felt like I shouldn't forget. I felt I was a horrible son for not remembering their faces clearly in my head. I remembered the feelings though. I remember the good ones. The feeling I got when either of them held me, or talked to me, or told me they loved me. That feeling was good. The more potent one, however, was the pain of knowing I would never see my parents ever again.

Twenty-five years. That is a long time. A quarter of a century my parents have been dead. I wished my kids could have at least met them. I wished my parents could have seen Liam and Peyton and see how absolutely amazing they were. They would have loved to know that Bella and I are still together. I believe they would have been supportive of her through all her troubles…unlike my parents and siblings.

They know about Charlie now, but they still haven't made that extra effort to forgive Bella. I would have expected them to call her at least and ask how she is. Not one called. Whenever I would talk to them, they would ask me about her in passing, but that was it.

We were going over to Emmett's house today to spend the afternoon and for Christmas dinner. This will be the first time we are all in the same room together since Bella got back. I worried how Bella would feel. When I talked to her about it, she assured me she would be okay, but I knew it wouldn't be that easy. I would make sure she was as comfortable as possible though. If I felt they were too cold towards her, I will take my kids and wife and leave.f

I heard Bella shift behind me. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I heard her hand swatting at the bed.

"Edward?" She mumbled sleepily.

I was going to answer, but her hand finally made contact with my bare back. She shifted some more and soon I felt her warm body close to mine, and her arm was over me. Her head was over mine and she kissed my temple softly.

"You okay, baby?" She asked.

"I'm fine." I whispered.

She linked her hands with mine over my stomach, and I lifted her hand to my heart.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire." She said teasingly in my ear and I cracked a smile. "You were thinking about them weren't you?" She asked.

_She knows me so well. _

"Yeah, it's hard not to."

"You want to know what I was thinking about the other day?" She asked.

"Sure."

"Liam reminds me a lot of your Dad."

I smiled. "You think so?"

"Of course! I mean to me, the similarities are uncanny. Your father was a storyteller, and so is Liam. He can keep you interested in whatever he is saying. And do you notice the similarities of their laughs? I don't remember too much of your parents, but I remember your Dad's laugh, and it is almost like it was reincarnated into Liam." She said. She has probably been thinking about this for a while. "Except Liam's voice isn't as deep as your father's obviously. It would be pretty fucking creepy if an eight year old had a deep voice like your Dad."

I laughed softly. "I guess I never noticed those things."

"Pay attention to them later." She said. She let go of me and shifted away from me. I felt her hand on my shoulder and she pulled me back so I was on my back. "Come here, my love." She said and opened her arms for me.

I shifted myself on the bed so I right beside her and rested my head on her chest. She wrapped her arms around me and ran one of her hands through my hair. Her tenderness mixed with my pain of remembering my parents cause a tear to fall from my eye. I wouldn't cry the rest of the day. I knew it. I wouldn't let my kids see me that way and I didn't want to ruin their day. But here, inside mine and Bella's room, with just Bella, I could let it out.

She wiped my eyes with her fingers. "You know, I was thinking I couldn't find any similarities between your parents and Peyton. That girl is so in her own little world."

I laughed despite the tears. She was right. Peyton was one of a kind. "She's perfect." I said; my voice cracking.

"That's for sure." She said and continued running her hands through my hair. The feeling of her fingers along my scalp caused my eyes to close. "They both are."

I nodded my head against her chest. The tears were still falling silently. I wasn't sobbing or anything, they were just falling. I needed to just let it out.

"You should try to sleep, Edward."

"I can try." I said.

"I know you miss them, baby. I miss them too, I know nowhere near as much as you, but I do." I nodded my head.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you, too." She wiped the final tears from my eyes. "Now go to sleep, Edward. You know our little ones will have us up in a couple hours for their Santa gifts."

"Thank you, Bella."

"Anytime, anyplace, anything, Edward."

"Same here, love." I mumbled and soon I was asleep.

* * *

_I think Santa made a big fucking mistake. _

"I like singing…I like singing in my microphoneeeee!" Peyton sang/yelled into her microphone.

Maybe a karaoke machine for the little girl wasn't such a great idea. She hasn't fucking stopped. She sings and sings and yells and yells or just talks into it, and I was losing my shit. My little girl had a cute little raspy voice, but magnified to that degree and radiating through the house got to be a little much.

"Make it stop." Bella whined and buried her face in my chest.

I chuckled. "What are we going to do? She just got it."

As much as she was annoying me right now, I couldn't burst her little excited bubble at having a karaoke machine. I guess we put this upon ourselves.

"Look at the boy." Bella said pointing to Liam who was sitting on the couch reading the book of baseball greats that Santa got him.

He was in his own little world studying the pages. Complete opposite from his crazy sister who was now singing a rock version of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.'

"Maybe she will get bored with it after a while." I said hopefully.

"It was your idea to get it for her." Bella reminded me.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Bella laughed. She kissed me and walked into the kitchen leaving me in the living room with the noise.

"Daddy!" Peyton yelled into the microphone.

"Yeah, baby?"

"You want to sing with me?"

"Uh…sorry, honey, I have to go help your Mom."

"Aww man. Alright, I will sing by myself." And she did of course.

I went into the kitchen with Bella who was baking cupcakes for later on today when we all went to Emmett's. She was adding eggs to the mix and it never got old seeing her in the kitchen again. I leaned forward on the island where she was she was eyeing me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"You have something on your face." I said and she started wiping at her face with her hands.

"Where?" She asked.

I laughed. "Nowhere, I was just messing with you."

She didn't seem mad. She just rolled her eyes and motioned me forward with her finger.

"Come here."

"Why?" I asked.

"I want to kiss you, that's why." She said.

_How could I deny her?_ I leaned forward over the island and she met me half way. I went in to give her a quick kiss, but she grabbed my face for a deeper one. I didn't object of course, I love kissing her. I seemed to be too distracted however when seconds later I felt cold, wet, stuff on my face. Bella pecked me once more and then pulled away.

"You have something on your face." She said and started mixing again.

I was shocked. I wiped my hand over where whatever it was on my face was residing, and when I looked, it was cupcake batter.

"You little…" She laughed and I lunged for her.

She dropped the spoon in the bowl and ran. We ended up laughing and chasing each other around the island. We were running around in circles, but were laughing and running like children. I kept swatting for her when I got close, but she was too fast. She finally broke the whole circle thing and ran into the living room. By the time I made it in there, she was already sitting on the couch with Liam on her lap. He looked lost, but was laughing.

"Save me, Liam! Daddy is trying to get me."

Liam extended his arms protectively around Bella and Bella stuck her tongue out at me over his shoulder.

"Nice one, Bella. Using my kid against me."

"Daddy isn't the champion, my friends." Peyton sand into her microphone.

_Since when does she know Queen? _

"Where did you learn that song, little girl?" I asked her.

"Uncle Seth." She answered into the microphone.

Well at least he was teaching her good music. There was a knock at the front door and I wondered who it could have been.

"I'll get it." I said.

I went to the door and opened it. A smile spread across my face when I saw who was on the other side.

"Karen!"

"Boss!" She squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tight.

I squeezed her back, and it was nice having her here. I waved over to Nancy over Karen's shoulder and she gave me a warm smile. Karen pulled back and looked me over.

"Looking as sexy and happy as ever." She said and I through my head back and laughed. She pulled me back. "Happy is for sure."

"I am, Karen. Very happy." I said.

"Karen?" Bella said from behind me. Karen instantly let go of me and looked over to Bella with a gasp.

"Bella!" She squealed once again and pretty much attacked Bella who was laughing and hugged her back.

Nancy walked all the way in and shut the door. I gave her a quick hug, and then we both looked over at our significant others. Bella had tears in her eyes. I understood why. She hasn't gotten this kind of reunion with someone besides me and the kids. No one was as exited to see her as Karen was. With Charlie as the exception of course, be he wasn't able to show it like Karen did.

"Oh, it is so good to see you, Bella!" Karen said and pulled away. She held Bella at arms length. "You are looking good, hun."

"Thank you. So are you. You are just as I remember. Always all over my husband and shit."

Karen looked over to me. "Sorry, I just can't resist. Just look at him. Ugh…so sexy." I swear I was blushing and all the woman laughed at me.

_Funny…not. _

"Karen is heeerreeee!" Peyton sang into her microphone and Bella and I rolled our eyes and Karen laughed.

She waved Nancy over and the both of them went into living room to say hi to the kids. Bella was smiling after them and wiped her eyes. I walked up to her and gave her a hug.

"It's so good to see her." Bella said against my chest.

"Yeah, I have been missing her." The phone started ringing. "I'll get it." I said.

"No, babe, it's alright, I'll get it." She got on her tip-toes and gave me a quick peck before going to answer the phone.

I went to the living room and God help us, Peyton _and _Karen were now singing on the karaoke machine. Liam was still all into his book and I sat down next to him and put my arm around him.

"Hey, Dad."

"So I guess you like the book Santa got you?"

"Yeah! It's great. Did you know the first World Series was in 1903?" I shrugged. "That is like a million years ago!"

He was getting all excited talking about it, so I tried to get him to keep talking.

"Who won?"

"It was between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Americans, the Boston Americans won. You know what team they are now?" I think I knew, but I acted clueless. "The Boston Red Sox! I like that team."

"What's your favorite?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't really have one. I like them all." I am sure that will change.

"How can you read this with your sister and Karen yapping away over there?" I asked.

He looked up at them and laughed softly. "I can block them out. I have to learn to with Peyton as my sister."

I laughed and kissed the top of his head.

"Edward." The tone of Bella's panicked voice startled me, and I was up in an instant.

I guess I was the only one to hear her because everyone else was still occupied. I grabbed her hand and brought her into the kitchen.

"What's the matter, love?" She didn't need to say something was bothering her, I could just tell.

"We need to go to the hospital…like now." She said and started breathing heavier. I ran my hands up and down her arms in an attempt to calm her.

"Why? What happened?"

She whimpered. "It's Destiny. She is in the hospital."

"What? What happened?" Now I understood her panic.

"I don't know exactly. It was my Dad who called, he said he will explain when we get there, but she has been admitted."

My heart broke for little Destiny. She was so small and so innocent. What could have caused that little girl to have to be in the hospital.

"I just feel bad leaving the kids." She said while gesturing to the living room.

"Bella, they will be fine. I can ask Karen to watch them for an hour or so." Bella nodded her head, but a tear fell from her eye. I pulled her to my chest and kissed the top of her head. "Everything will be okay, honey."

"I swear if it was that bitch Andrea…"

"Shh…we don't know anything right now." I pulled her face up and kissed her again. "I will go ask Karen. Let's go say bye."

She nodded her head, and we walked back into the living room hand-in-hand. Bella went to the couch to say bye to Liam, and I went over to Karen. She was dancing with Nancy and Peyton.

"Karen." I called her and she got serious when she saw my face. She walked over to me and Nancy and Peyton continued dancing.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Our niece, Destiny, she is only a couple months old, and she is in the hospital."

She gasped. "Oh I am so sorry, Edward. Is there anything I can do?"

"Actually yes, do you think you can stay with the kids for an hour or so. We just want to go over there and see what is going on."

"Absolutely. Take as much time as you need. We don't have to be to Nancy's parent's house until noon." I pulled her in for another hug.

"Thank you so much, you're a lifesaver."

"No problem, Edward."

I let go of her, and scooped a dancing Peyton up. She squealed at the suddenness. I kissed her little cheeks and she giggled.

"Me and Mommy will be right back." I said.

"Where are you going?"

"Just some last minute Christmas things." I told her. If I told her we were going to visit Destiny or something along those lines, she would want to go to. "Karen and Nancy are going to stay with you."

"Yay!" She kissed my cheeks. "Bye, Daddy. Love you."

I told her I loved her too and placed her back on the floor. Bella was heading towards Peyton.

"I will be in the car, okay?" I said as I passed by, and she nodded her head. I walked over to Liam and kissed the top of his head. "We will be back, alright, bud? Love you." I kissed his head again and ruffled his hair.

I was going to walk away, but he pulled on my hand. He was looking up at me with pleading eyes. "Make Mommy feel better."

It amazed me how much he picked up on. "I will."

He nodded and let go of my hand. "Love you, Dad."

* * *

Bella's grip on my hand was tight as we walked to the waiting room where Charlie and Sue were. She was silent the whole way here, and she never let go of my hand. I felt a little uncomfortable being in the hospital especially today. I didn't say anything though, and just pushed past it so I could be there for Bella, Seth, Charlie, and Sue.

We turned a corner and we saw Charlie and Sue standing in the hallway.

"Dad!" Bella said and finally let go of my hand.

She ran at Charlie and he had his arms open for her. They hugged, and seeing that never got old. It felt amazing to know that she had people to turn to now. A conversation I had with Liam came into my mind. If for some reason I was no longer around, at least I knew Bella had people to take care of her now. The feeling was unlike any other.

I gave Sue a hug, she looked like she was about to lose her mind. Her eyes were puffy from crying.

I looked into the room where they were standing outside of, and saw Seth. He was facing away from the door. He was hunched over, leaning one of his elbows on his knees, and one hand inside the little bed that held Destiny. I couldn't see her, but I could see her tuft of black hair.

"He hasn't moved from that spot." Sue said and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Charlie made his way back to Sue, and Bella wrapped her arms around my middle.

"What happened?" Bella asked.

"Well you know how Seth and Andrea made a deal for her to have Destiny Christmas Eve, and he would have her on Christmas?" Charlie said.

We both nodded. It took them a while to come up with that compromise.

"Well, Seth and I went to pick her up this morning and…it was horrible." Charlie had to stop for a second to compose himself. "The door of her apartment was locked, and all we heard were Destiny's screams. We were both freaking out and Seth busted the door open. She was on the floor. Her lips were purple and she was screaming and crying…it was absolutely horrible."

Bella was completely tense beside me. I didn't even have to look at her to know she was pissed off.

"No one heard her?" Bella asked.

"It's a two family tenement apartment. The family living downstairs was out for the holidays. All the windows were closed; we didn't even hear her until we were up the stairs. She started calming down once Seth was holding her and had her wrapped up, but she was freezing. There was no heat in the house. According to the doctors, she didn't eat for at least eight hours…"

"Where the fuck is Andrea?" Bella asked through gritted teeth, and I held her closer to my side. I knew if it was something like this, Bella would not take it well.

"There is a warrant out for her arrest, but they haven't found her yet." Charlie answered. He didn't seem thrown off by Bella's snappiness, because I am sure he understood.

"So how is Destiny?" I asked.

"She is doing okay…the doctor says she will be better after a couple of days here to get her nutrition levels back up, and she had slight hypothermia. She is getting better, but Seth is beating himself up. He feels it is his fault." Charlie said sadly.

_Poor Seth._ It was absolutely in no way his fault, but as a father, I understood his state of mind.

"Can we go in to see them?" Bella asked.

Charlie nodded. "Sure, you can both go in."

Bella grabbed onto my hand, and led the way into the room. Seth didn't move an inch even though I am sure he heard the door open. His eyes were completely on Destiny. Bella hesitated once we were in the room, and she was wiping the tears from her eyes. There were three other stools in the room, so Bella and I both brought one over to Seth. Bella sat next to him and wrapped her arm around his and rested her head on his arm. Seth shifted and wrapped his arm around Bella, without taking his eyes off his daughter. I sat beside Bella, and took her hand.

I looked over to Destiny, and she was fast asleep. She was sleeping on her back with her hands over her head. One of her hands was wrapped around Seth's index finger. She had just an onesie on, but she had a blanket over her. She had an IV in her arm and it was so small. She had other wires connected to her, including a patch to the heart monitor. She looked sick. Poor baby had a rough night.

"They won't let me hold her yet." Seth said quietly. "It's because of all the wires."

"She knows you are here, Seth."

"I wasn't there last night." He said bitterly.

"Seth…" Bella said. She looked over to me, and silently told me she didn't know what to say.

"Seth…" I started. "I understand what you must be feeling right now. You probably feel angry at Andrea for letting this happen to your little girl. You probably feel a lot of pain right now seeing your daughter in the hospital, and feeling like you should somehow know how to fix it for her because you are her father." I was recalling all my feelings when Peyton was sick. I wanted nothing more than to take the pain and sickness away from her. I was her father; it was my job to protect her from everything. "But most of all, you are probably blaming yourself and feeling anger towards yourself."

"I do." He said.

"Don't." I said and he shook his head. "Seth, I know what happened to Destiny was terrible. I am not saying you should be okay with it right away, because it is not okay. But you need to stop blaming yourself. You didn't know. You, being here right now is what matters. She knows you are here. She will know that even though she went through something traumatic, she still has you. Charlie says she stopped crying when you held her…is that right?"

A small smile appeared on his face, and a tear fell from his eyes. Bella squeezed my hand and ran her hand up and down Seth's back.

"Yeah." He said.

"That's because she knows it was you. You are her Dad."

"But she needs a Mom…" He said.

"Seth, take it from me. Just knowing you have at least one family member out there that loves you is enough to make you feel whole." Bella said. "And she has a family here. All of us love her. Her mother may or may not be around her all her life, but she has us. She will be a happy little girl."

"I just wish she could have it all." Seth said and wiped his eyes free of tears.

"She does have it all, Seth. She has you." Bella said.

Seth unwrapped his arm from around Bella, and leaned forward. He kissed Destiny's forehead. He ran his hand through her hair and rested his head on her little one. She started to stir, so he backed off a little. She stretched her little arms over her head and opened her eyes. She blinked them a couple times and smiled so slightly at Seth. Seth's smile extended and he kissed her forehead some more. She soon fell back asleep with her little fist gripping Seth's finger once again.

Seth sat back down, but scooted closer to her bed. "Thank you, guys." He said while looking over to us. "I hope you are right."

"I have a good feeling we are." Bella said. She stood up from the stool and I got up with her. "We will be back later today if we get the chance. Maybe we can bring the kids."

"No, don't worry about it, Bella. You can come visit tomorrow. Go spend Christmas with your kids. Tell them I love them, and I will give them their gifts in a couple of days." He said.

"Well we have a lot for this little princess as well, so be prepared." Bella said and Seth chuckled.

Bella bent down and hugged Seth around his neck from the side and kissed the side of his head.

"You can come over and we can have our own mini Christmas celebration." She said and he nodded.

"Sounds good." He said.

Bella and I both kissed Destiny's forehead and headed out.

"Wait." Seth said.

We turned, and he was up from the seat, and walking towards us slowly.

"Edward, you have been an amazing friend to me and my Dad, and I don't think I can ever thank you enough."

"No need to thank me, Seth." I said.

"I know, but I want to." He held his hand out to me, and I let go of Bella's hand to shake it. He pulled me in for a small hug, and then turned to Bella. "Bella, I am really glad to have you as my sister. I know I have never told you, but I do love you."

Bella smiled wide with the tears instantly falling. Seth pulled her in for a big hug.

"I love you too, Seth...my little brother." She said, testing it out in wonder.

Bella was proof.

She was proof that it isn't the amount of people you have that love you that matters, it is the quality and abundance of love you get from your family and friends that you do have that matters and makes the difference.

With that kind of love, you can get through anything.

* * *

"Ugh…I'm tired. Maybe we shouldn't have gotten up so early." Liam said from the back seat.

I heard him yawn and I chuckled.

"Oh you will be wide awake once we get to your Uncle's house." Bella said.

She was sitting sideways in her seat so she was facing me, but was able to talk to the kids. She was doing a good job in acting normal around Peyton and Liam after we left the hospital. I think knowing that Seth was feeling better and that Destiny would be okay was really helpful for her. I know it was for me.

"I think I need a coffee." He said.

Bella laughed. "You sound like your father." She shook her head and I reached my hand out to her and she held it across the center console. "You are too young for coffee." She said.

"Well one day I will have some, Dad says it wakes him up."

"It does, but it's not exactly healthy." Bella said.

"Oh please, coffee is healthy." I said.

"Edward! No it's not!"

"What are you talking about? It is made out of fresh beans…how can that not be healthy?"

"Hmm…maybe when you fill your cup with cream and six sugars." _Fuck, she had me._

"Well that's beside the point." I said.

Bella just chuckled and shook her head. She knew she had won that one, but she didn't rub it in my face. It was silent for a couple minutes before Peyton suddenly spoke from her car seat. She has been quiet for pretty much the whole ride which was unusual. Maybe she was tired too.

"Hey, Daddy?" She asked.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can I drive?"

"Uh…no." I answered.

"Okay." And that was it.

It took all of 30 seconds before Bella and I both kind of looked at each other, and laughed. Who just comes out and says that? She didn't even fight me or anything, just a simple 'okay'. Sometimes I wonder what goes through that little head of hers at any given moment of the day.

We were at Emmett's house only seconds later, and as we pulled up in front of the house, I saw Bella start fidgeting with her hands. She was nervous.

_I really hope they don't give her a hard time. It's Christmas. _

Liam got out of the car instantly and ran to the door. Peyton was bouncing in her seat, but she was buckled in, and she couldn't get out by herself even if she wanted to because her door opens out to the street. I unbuckled her and she didn't want to be held once we were on the side walk. She was running to the house with her big coat on, I grabbed Bella's hand as we followed the both of them in.

"You okay, love?" I asked.

She was squeezing my hand rather tightly, and I could just tell she was nervous.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said with a small smile.

She was lying. I didn't want to push her though. We would get through it together.

I walked into the house because the door was already open, and my parents were hugging and kissing Liam and Peyton at the front door. Peyton was talking my Dad's ear off about her karaoke machine, and Liam was talking to my Mom. My Mom gave him a kiss on the head and then beamed towards me.

"Merry Christmas, honey." She said and opened her arms for a hug. I let go of Bella's hand and hugged her. She squeezed me. "You doing okay, Edward?" She asked. I knew what she meant.

"I am fine." She nodded her head and turned to Bella.

"Hi, Bella." She said in a way less enthusiastic voice as she had for me and the kids, and I was instantly pissed.

She wasn't necessarily being rude, because she did give Bella a hug, but it was just a hello. Not a how are you doing? How are you coping after being separated from your only family for half a year? I had a feeling today would piss me off.

My Dad gave Bella a similar greeting, and they walked into the living room where I guessed everyone else was, including Peyton and Liam.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I will talk to them." I said.

"Edward, don't worry about it. I understand. At least they are being cordial. Don't start a scene. It's Christmas." She said.

She was saying it didn't bother her, but I knew it did. She was just trying to limit the problems like she always does.

"Fine." I said.

I grabbed her hand again and walked into the living room.

Like I guessed, everyone else was in there, and so were a ridiculous amount of ripped up wrapping paper on the ground. All of my nieces and nephews ran up to us and gave us hugs and kisses. Bella seemed happier knowing they at least missed her, and were happy to see her. That went away when my brother, sister, and their significant others didn't even fucking give her a hug. Awkward waves all around. I got hugs, but I wanted so badly to refuse them.

_Don't start a scene, Edward. It's Christmas._

"Oh, Edward. We forgot the gifts in the car." Bella said.

_Fuck. _I didn't want to have to go get them and leave her alone. I didn't want to make her go get them though.

"Oh, I will go to get them. You going to be okay?" I asked the last part a little lower.

She nodded her head and gave me a reassuring smile. She was being brave. _Don't they fucking see what I see? Don't they see how much she has grown?_

"I can go help you." My Dad said as he got up from the couch next to my Mom.

I nodded my head, and Bella sat down at one of the chairs by herself. Alyssa walked over to her, and I was never more thankful for that little girl than I was at that moment. At least she would distract her.

I headed out of the room and to the door. I could hear my Dad follow me. Once we were outside, I waited for him to be by his side.

"Look Dad, can you spread the word or something for everyone to at least act like they care about Bella?"

"Edward, that's not it…we do care."

"Could have fooled me." I said as I opened the trunk to the car.

He sighed. "I will talk to them."

He knew I was right. They were being cold towards her. I gave him one of the bags filled with gifts and I took the other. Just knowing he was even aware of it made me even more pissed off. I should have had a talk with them before today. I could have prevented this.

We walked back into the house, and Liam and Peyton were already opening their gifts from the family, and the rest of the kids ran at the bags me and my Dad put down. Liam and Peyton were all smiles surrounded by all their family members. All attentions were on the kids, and I walked over to Bella. She had a good view of the kids, and she had a small smile on as she watched them open their gifts. I walked up to her and reached my hand out to her. She took it, and I pulled her from the chair.

She looked confused, but I sat down on the chair and pulled her onto my lap. She giggled and relaxed back against me, and I kissed her neck. "

I love you." I whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Edward." She said softly.

I wish she would have said it louder. Maybe we both should have said it louder so everyone else in the room could have heard it. We fucking love each other.

_If my family loved me, how could they not learn to love Bella and accept her for my sake at least? Or the kid's sake?_

The kids continued opening their gifts, and Liam and Peyton both ran over to us to show us what they got. They got so much toys and clothes and books. They seemed happy, Bella was happy seeing them happy, and I was happy because of it.

My family wasn't completely ignoring Bella, but they weren't trying to start conversations with her. At a moment of silence, Bella asked Alice how her work was going, and she just gave her a brief answer. It wasn't ignoring, but it wasn't like Alice to act that way. I really should have had a talk with them.

Soon all the kids went upstairs to play in the playroom, and it was just the adults in the living room. There was an awkward moment of silence, and Bella was the one to break it.

"So I see you painted the living room." She said to Rose nervously. "It looks nice."

"Oh, yeah. We did it about three months ago. We are thinking of painting over it." She said simply.

_No thank you or anything? _

_Don't start a scene, Edward. Don't start a fucking scene._

"So Bella, your Dad is coming by?" Esme asked.

Emmett got up and headed to the kitchen. We told the family about Charlie. They were all surprised, but easily accepted it.

"Yeah, he should be here after dinner. My brother's daughter who is only a couple of months old is in the hospital."

"Oh no, that's sad. What happened?" Alice asked. _Okay, this is going good._

"Her mother left her alone in the house overnight. She didn't eat for eight hours and was cold." Bella said.

She seemed to be getting more comfortable. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Oh that is terrible!" My Mom said.

"Yeah, I know. Hopefully they can find her mother though." Bella said.

"Yeah, it's too bad children can't always be saved from incompetent mothers." Rosalie said suggestively and I tensed up so much.

_Fucking bitch._

The rest of the room was silent, and I could hear Bella swallow loudly. She squeezed my hands that were around her middle and I tried to hold it in. I didn't want to cause a scene.

"Yeah…true." Bella said.

Emmett walked in right then, and I was just that much closer to flipping my shit. He walked in with a tray with eight glasses of wine. _Fucking alcohol_. Bella tensed in my arms. If that wasn't enough, he walks right up to Bella first.

"Want a glass?" He asked.

That was it.

I held Bella around the waist and brought her up with me. I got in front of her. I was so tempted to just fucking knock the tray right out of his hands, but making a mess out of broken glass with kids around wasn't very smart.

"What the hell is wrong with all of you?" I asked to all of them. My voice was raised, but not loud enough to have the kids hear.

They all looked at me like I was crazy.

"What are you talking about, bro?" Emmett asked. He set the tray down.

"Are you kidding me, Emmett? You and Rose are the worst. What are you thinking asking Bella if she wants a drink?" I stepped closer to him and he stepped back.

"It's a glass of wine, Edward. Don't be a fucking cow."

"Edward, it's fine." Bella said and pulled on my arm.

I snatched my arm out of her grasp. She may not think she needs defending, but she does. She doesn't need them walking all over her. She shouldn't feel insignificant around them.

"Sure it's just a glass of wine, but all of you know Bella just got out of rehab for alcoholism don't you? Don't you think a little consideration on your part was needed in a situation like this?"

"I was just being nice, how could I give everyone but her one?" Just by the tone of his voice, I knew he did it on purpose.

His tone of voice along with the composure of his face made my skin crawl. I was fucking disgusted with the whole lot of them.

_Where the hell was their acceptance and compassion? Where the hell was my family? _

"That's a load of bullshit, Emmett. Was this some kind of test?" I said in a louder tone of voice.

"It was nothing, Edward. You want us to give poor Bella special treatment just because she went to rehab? You want us to congratulate her, give her a pat on the back, and say 'good job getting better even though you already hurt more people than we can count'. That's not going to happen." He said.

I honestly had no idea where my brother went. I felt like I didn't know these people anymore.

I looked around at everyone else, just to see their reactions. I wanted to see if one of them disapproved of what he said.

One of them had to at least defend Bella.

_No one did._

They all had their heads down, and were just trying to avoid any eye contact with me. Bella slipped her hand in mine. It was wet from what I expect were her tears. That was the last straw for me.

"You know what…fuck you." I said to Emmett. "Fuck this! Bella, go get the kids."

"Edward, we don't have to leave." Her voice was cracking. She was trying to be strong. "I will be okay… I understand."

"Bella, stop. You don't deserve this shit and I don't deserve to sit back and watch it happen. I can't even stand to look at you all. Where the hell is your heart?" I said.

"Edward, don't leave, honey. We can talk things out…" My Mom said.

"No." I said simply. "I am not going to spend Christmas day fighting with you all. If you don't have the courtesy to set your feelings aside for one fucking day, I don't have the courtesy to give you all the time of day."

I let go of Bella's hand and went to get Peyton and Liam's toys and put them in one of our bags.

"Bella, go get Liam and Peyton." I said as I started putting them away. Bella left without a word that time.

"Edward, don't you think you are being a little dramatic?" Alice said. "We can put everything aside, it is just hard for us…"

"Dramatic? Whatever. I am done trying to reason with you all."

Maybe I was being dramatic. I don't know, but all I knew was that there was no way I could be in the same house as all of them for the rest of the day. My Christmas would have been ruined.

"What if you come back for dinner?" My Dad said this time. "Go out, cool off, and come back. It's not fair to take Liam and Peyton away from their family on Christmas."

I stood up with both bags. "Don't worry about Liam and Peyton. They have me and Bella and they have their other set of grandparents who don't treat their mother like the dirt on the ground."

Maybe that was hitting below the belt, or maybe it was uncalled for, but in that moment, I was really too upset to really care. My Mom and Dad seemed taken aback and a part of me felt a little bad for what I said.

I heard Bella and the kids walk down the steps. I headed for the door, and turned at the doorway. "Don't call me. I will call when I am ready. Have a good Christmas."

Bella and the kids were at the bottom of the steps.

"Go say bye to everyone." I said to Liam and Peyton.

They didn't refuse like I expected them too, but they must have seem Bella was crying and that is why they weren't complaining about leaving. They both went into the living room and I put the bags down. I pulled Bella too my chest and she held onto my middle.

"We really don't have to leave, baby." She mumbled against my button up.

I kissed the top of her head. "I want to. Don't listen to anything they said, either."

She shook her head against my chest. "We can talk about this later." She said and pulled away from me. She picked up one of the bags. "For now, let's just make this an enjoyable Christmas for Liam and Peyton."

"Sounds like a plan."

Liam and Peyton came back to us. Liam led the way while holding Peyton's hand and we walked out. I heard Esme crying behind the door, and it hurt to hear it, but they were being very unreasonable. Maybe I made a mistake speaking to them that way, but it was what I had to do to protect my wife.

That was the end of that.

* * *

We were all sitting on the couch watching a Christmas movie. Well we were watching 'Jingle All the Way' but it was over now, and Peyton was sleeping and drooling all over the front of my shirt. Bella was leaning on my side and my arm was around her. Liam was lying down so his head was in Bella's lap and she was playing with his hair. It was just after eight, and they were both exhausted from this long day.

After we left Emmett's house, we went straight home. We all went through and opened all of Liam and Peyton's toys and gifts they got. Some things required assembly, and opening Barbie dolls were always fun. They freaking sew the hair down to the box. After all was open, we put it all away, and that took about an hour. After that, we weren't that hungry yet, but Bella had a package of sugar cookies she could make, so we all pitched in for that.

Around five, Charlie and Sue showed up, and that is when we all got hungry. We had nothing to really cook dinner in the house, so Charlie and I had to call around to places that were open on Christmas day. We found a Chinese place that was open, and we ordered from there. After dinner, we all exchanged gifts once again, and the kids ended up having even more stuff.

Charlie and Sue left around seven and took leftovers to Seth. Destiny was doing better, and Seth was able to hold her now. They thought that she would probably be there for two nights before they discharge her just for precautionary reasons.

Once they left, we started watching the movie together, which brings us to the present.

Liam got up from lying down, and stretched his hands over his head and yawned.

Bella chuckled. "Are you tired, baby?"

"Ugh, yeah. I think I could sleep for five days." He said and we both chuckled.

"I will go tuck you in." Bella said and started to get up.

She leant over and kissed Peyton's head, and Peyton didn't even move an inch. She was out for the count. Bella gave me a quick kiss as well.

"Tell your Dad goodnight." Bella said to Liam.

Liam climbed back on the couch and hugged me around the neck, careful not to interrupt Peyton. I turned my head and kissed the side of his head. "I love you, Dad." He said.

"I love you too, son. I hope you had a good Christmas. Sorry we had to leave Uncle Emmett's so early."

He shrugged. "It's okay I guess. We are going back though right?" He asked.

"Yes, of course. We just had a little bit of grown up issues, but we will work it out."

He nodded in understanding. "Well I think it was a really good Christmas."

"Good. I thought so too." Despite all the drama of the day, we still had a good enough time. My Bella was home for Christmas and it couldn't have been anything but amazing.

He gave Peyton's head a kiss, and walked out with Bella. I got up with Peyton, and she didn't move at all. If anything, she snored louder. Once in her room, I placed her in her bed and pulled her covers up. She was such a beautiful little girl inside and out. I gave her a kiss on her head and told her I loved her. I went into mine and Bella's room and changed out of my clothes and into a pair of pajama bottoms.

I went to go lay in the bed, and I didn't realize how tired I was until my head hit the pillow. I must have knocked out pretty fast because what felt like seconds later, I woke up. Bella was in my arms and I looked over to the clock.

"Shit." I mumbled.

It was already almost midnight. Wow, I must have been more tired than I thought I was. I looked down at Bella and she was awake. She was playing around with the dog-tags that were resting on my chest.

"Did I wake you?" She whispered.

"No, love, but why didn't you? I can't believe I fell asleep that early."

"You have been up since about three this morning, baby. It is understandable."

I yawned widely and loudly. "Yeah I guess, I am still tired."

"Go to sleep, Edward." She said and kissed my chest.

"You okay, Bella? I know today was just a clusterfuck of shit."

"Despite all that though, it was a good day." She said. She was tracing random patterns on my arm causing goosebumps to form.

"How can you just take what they do to you?" I asked her. I was genuinely curious as to how easily she accepted their injustice towards her. I just couldn't do it. To me, it just wasn't fair, and I didn't think I would ever understand it, or accept it.

"Because, I get it, Edward. They just need time I guess."

"How though? How do you get it? It is so irrational." I said.

She got up from my chest and sat cross-legged next to me.

"Listen…" She said and took my hand. "Imagine this. Imagine you are in your parent's situation and Liam was the one with the alcoholic girlfriend. Liam loves her very much, but she is just a horrible mother and is always drunk."

"Bella, there is already a fault. You are not a horrible mother." I said.

"Maybe that's true, but you are the only one who knows that for sure because you live with me and you love me, and you see me all the time. So go back, imagine it was Liam. He gets a girlfriend, they have kids, and you find out the kids stay with the mother all day and she is drunk most of the time. She has no job and is basically free-loading off of our son. He is the only one with the job, and he is pretty much singlehandedly supporting everyone. Imagine seeing our little boy hurt and tired and struggling every day, but he never leaves her because he loves her." She took a deep breath. "And then when he finally does leave her, he is even more hurt and the kids are struggling and it was all because of that one person. Would you be too fond of that person afterwards? Be honest."

I hate that she is always right. She was right. I would have been pissed at that girl for doing that to my son. I would hate to have Liam have the same feelings I had through all that.

"But Bella, that is different. You aren't just some girl. You grew up with me, we have been pretty much inseparable since I can remember. They loved you…I just don't get how they could have written you off so easily."

Bella shrugged. She knows I also had a point.

"It's not the same. You are their blood. You are a part of your mother and father that I am sure they miss, and they cherish you. You will always come first for them and I understand that. Liam and Peyton will always come first to me in comparison to whoever they decide to marry or be with."

"Regardless, they should love me enough to at least try and accept things the way they are. You don't deserve to be treated like that Bella. Period. End of story. Stick a fork in me, I'm done." I got down lower in the bed and put my hands behind my head.

Bella laughed and rolled her eyes at me. "You are weird." She said as she lied down beside me. I was already ready to knock out once again.

"I know you are but what am I?" I said.

She chuckled. "Go to sleep, babe. You need it; you are starting to get wacky."

"I know you are but…" She slapped her hand over my mouth.

"Shut it." She said and I lightly bit her finger. "Ow, Edward, you're a jerk when you are tired."

"Shut up, no I'm not." I mumbled groggily.

"Goodnight, Edward. I love you." She said.

"I love you, too." I said.

She sighed in contentment. "I know you do."

_Good._

* * *

**Whoa that was a long chapter! I hope you all liked it though! I know a lot happened in it, but I hope you all don't mind! lol. So what do you think about Seth and Destiny's situation? Do you think how Edward dealt with his family was understandable? I had a hard time figuring out that whole situation, but with a little help from Alexa I came to a decision that I thought worked best…I just hope it was the right decision. I just stress myself out too much over this stuff. **

**Anyways, thanks once again to Alexa for her support as usual. She is going on vacation at the end of the week for a whole MONTH! I am going to miss you Alexa! I will be lost without my FF spiritual counselor and friend! **

**Oh and if you all want to, you could follow me on Twitter (penname Blueking141)! I follow back and I am usually always free to answer any of your questions or if you just want to chat! I also post teasers and little tidbits of information on the chapter I am working on. I love interacting with you all! **

**Review please :]**


	39. Chapter 38: Remember

**Chapter 38: Remember  
January 11, 2011**

**EPOV**

I just knew today would be a bad day.

It wasn't even nine in the morning yet, but I was already in one of those moods. I woke up to a crying baby, a whining daughter, and a hyper son. As soon as I dragged myself out of bed, I stubbed my toe on my bureau and then proceeded to step on a small toy on the ground outside my door. This just added to my irritation and I was in a bad fucking mood.

I have been in a bad mood for this whole month basically. Maybe it was because bills were stacking up, we spent a lot of money at Christmas, and oh yeah, and I got laid off. So we had a bunch of bills that needed paying, groceries to be bought, and a birthday party that needed to be planned for my son. All of which were damn near impossible with absolutely no income. _Was my irritation justified? I think so._

Now I was sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of bills. I was feeling like shit for yelling at Peyton this morning for the whole toy incident. I put everyone else in a bad mood. I even felt bad for making Bella bring the kids to school even though she had Destiny too. She had to pack all of them up by herself and bring them to school while I was home doing nothing basically except going through my mind all of the new shit I had to deal with.

To top all of that shit off, I haven't spoken a word to anyone on my side of the family since Christmas. They tried to call, sure, but I ignored them. I wasn't ready to deal with them just yet. Although, I knew I needed to soon because Liam's birthday was in two days, and he has been asking about them and whether they were coming to his party. I knew they needed to come either way, but I hoped we would be on better terms.

Bella still wasn't back from bringing the kids to school. She was probably just distracting herself with stuff to do so she didn't have to deal with me. She probably brought Destiny to the park or something along those lines. She has been babysitting Destiny every day that Seth had work or class. Today was one of those days, but he was going to be picking her up around noon time. Charlie and Sue also helped out but they were on a vacation in California. They come back tomorrow.

Unlike me, Charlie got to keep his job. He felt sorry for me, and felt horrible that he got to keep the job while I didn't. I told him over and over not to worry about it. It wasn't his fault. Shit happens.

I heard the front door open and the hum of Bella's voice as I am sure she was talking to Destiny. She really was so good with her. Destiny still loved Bella a lot, and I could tell they would always be close. They can actually relate to each other a lot despite their age difference. I knew Bella would make sure Destiny never ended up the way she did. She never really came out and said it to me, but I know enough about Bella and her heart to know that was what she would do.

I opened up another bill—electric—and nearly fucking yelled. It was $300. Fucking Christmas lights were the worst things ever invented I swear. $300! That was insane, and almost nearly impossible for me to pay without starving my wife and kids.

I was in the middle of an internal rage when Bella walked in with Destiny who was chewing on her fist. Her cheeks were red from the cold, but her hair was sticking up from sweating under her hat I am sure. Her big blue eyes were looking at me and so were Bella's brown ones.

"You want to go put her to sleep for me?" She asked.

"I am a little busy right now, Bella."

She sighed and walked over to the table. She swept away all of the bills in front of me. "I think you can take a break." She said.

"What the hell?"

"Edward, you always get in a shitty mood when you sit down staring at bills all day. Take a break please." She wasn't yelling, she was aggravated and was trying to hold back her yelling for Destiny's sake, but she was making me mad as well.

"Well someone in this house has to worry about the bills." I snapped at her, and pulled the bills back in front of me.

She stared at me for a second and just scoffed. "Whatever, Edward. Come talk to me when you are done being an ass." She said and walked away with Destiny. Now I could tell she was openly pissed with me. My comment may have been out of line, but I was in one of those moods where I didn't really seem to care.

I was left dealing with bills and writing checks and making phone calls for about an hour before Bella came back down. She must have gotten Destiny to sleep because she was not with her. We set up Peyton's old crib in the guest bedroom for her since she was around a lot.

Bella sat down across from me at the table. She wordlessly reached over and picked up one of the envelopes in one of my piles. "What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Helping you with the bills." She said simply and ripped open the envelope. I put my hand over hers and took the envelope away from her.

"I don't need help, Bella. I have it under control." I placed the bill right beside me, and continued without looking at her.

She sighed in frustration. "You complain that I don't help with bills, but when I try to, you say you don't need help. Make up your mind, Edward."

"I have a system going."

"You can't fit me into this system? I am only trying to help you so you won't be so grouchy all the time."

"I am not grouchy." I said in an aggravated tone. I didn't need her bugging me about shit.

"You are, Edward! Baby, I know you are upset because you lost your job, and we are struggling with money right now, but it's not the end of the world." She said a little calmer now. She sounded sympathetic. I didn't need her sympathy.

"It's not the end of the world?" I asked her incredulously. "We need money to survive."

"Yes I know money is important, but a lack of money is nothing for you to be all pissed off all the time about."

"How are you not pissed about it?" I asked her.

"Because I know we will make it through it. I have two healthy kids and a healthy husband. Even though he has been an irritable bastard these past couple of weeks." She got up from the table and went to the cabinet. She took out a box of crackers and ate one.

"We have no income, Bella."

"I told you to go apply for unemployment! You won't listen to me though; your manly pride has to get in the way. If you go on unemployment, we will have at least a little income." She sat back across from me with the crackers in front of her.

"I don't need unemployment; I can find a job by myself."

She rolled her eyes. "I already told you I would get a job, Edward."

"No! You shouldn't have too. I got this under control."

"Apparently not. You haven't even been the same person these past couple of weeks."

"What are you talking about, Bella? Just because I have been in a bad mood, I am not myself?"

"Yes. You snapped at Peyton this morning because you just happened to step on one of her toys. She was crying on the way to school."

My hands clenched into fists. I didn't mean to make her cry; I never wanted to do that. This news only made me feel worse. "You don't have to rub it in my face, you know."

"Well you need something to snap you out of this rut you have been in."

I got up from the chair. I was getting even madder. I didn't know why, but I couldn't control it. It just kept building and building. I needed to let it out, and Bella was the one I was taking it out on. It wasn't fair, but I was just in one of those moods where what came out of my mouth seemed justified no matter how stupid I was being.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. I was trying to calm myself down, but it was not working. I felt Bella's hand on my arm and I shrugged her off. She sighed. "Just let me help you, Edward." She said forcefully.

"I don't need your help." I was happy I couldn't see her face. This anger was pouring out in my words. A small part of me knew Bella didn't deserve this, but the more angrier and dominant part of me had taken over.

"You don't have to do this alone." She said.

I spun around to look at her at her words. "Why not?" I yelled and she flinched back. "I had to do it on my own while you were gone for nearly a whole year drinking your life away! I don't need your fucking help, Bella. Just leave me alone." I yelled. My breathing was picking up and I groaned. I let off some of that anger. It felt good for the time it took me to yell those words out, but as soon as I saw the look of pain and the tears on Bella's face, that time of feeling good went instantly away and was replaced with even more anger...this time towards myself. _What the hell was wrong with me?_

"You're right." She said and a tear fell from her eye.

"No, Bella…I didn't mean that." I took a step forward and tried to grab her hand, but she pushed my hand away. _Fuck I was an asshole. _

"I'll just leave you alone, then." She said and her voice cracked. She turned to walk away, but I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her back. She tried pulling away from me again, but I didn't let go. I didn't want to end this argument like that. "Just let me go, Edward." She pleads with me in a broken voice.

"Please, Bella. I didn't mean that. I wasn't thinking." I said into her ear. Her back was to my front as her hands tried pushing my arm out from around her.

"Please…" She said. "Don't be sorry, you are right."

"No I'm not!" I said a little too loudly because a sob broke out of her mouth. I wouldn't let go of her. I didn't want her thinking I thought that because I sure as hell didn't. I was just angry and I took it out on her. My subconscious just came up with the most hurtful thing I could have said.

"Edward, please." She kept pushing my arms off of her.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked her.

"This is your house." She said as if that was an answer.

"It's yours too, Bella! If you want me to leave, just tell me! I will go."

"I can't tell you what to do." She said. "But I can ask you to please just let go of me, Edward. I really just want to be alone right now."

I didn't want her to be alone! I didn't want to give her time to sit there and beat herself up because I know she would. I made a mistake, I know that, and I wanted to fix it. As much as I didn't want to leave her alone, I also wanted to give her what she wanted. She wanted to be alone, so I would give it to her. I think I should just leave and cool down a little.

I let go of her. "I will go." I said.

"If that's what you want." She said with her back towards me. She was using her sleeve to dry her eyes. I could see the wet spots on the red of her shirt.

"I can take Destiny with me so you can relax." I offered.

"She is sleeping. I will take care of her."

"I know you will." I wanted so bad to grab her back in my arms and kiss all of her pain and worry away. I couldn't right now though. She needed time and space, and I would give it to her. She started to walk out of the kitchen. "Bella!" I called out to her. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?" She asked so softly, I could barely hear her.

"I love you." I said simply. She just nodded her head and started walking again. Fuck that hurt, but I deserved it. I put my shoes and my jacket on, and made my way out of the house. Once in my car, I leaned my head on the steering wheel trying to compose myself. As soon as I was ready to drive, I just took off. I didn't know where I was going.

I really didn't have anywhere to go.

* * *

After driving around aimlessly for a little over an hour, I stopped on the parking lot of one of the parks. I needed to talk to someone, but I couldn't figure out who. Charlie and Sue were on vacation and I wasn't on speaking terms with anyone on my side of the family. The only person I could think of was Karen, but she was working. Although, it was a little after noon, she might meet me for lunch.

I decided to call her. Maybe I shouldn't have been bugging her at work—my old job—but I needed someone to talk to, and she was always there when I needed her.

I called her cell phone. The phone rang twice before she answered. "Hello?"

"Karen?" I said.

"Edward? Are you okay?" She asked instantly.

"To be honest, I don't think so. Are you working?"

"No, I don't have to work until Thursday; they are doing repairs on the building. Why what's up?"

At least I wasn't completely bugging her. "You mind if I come over? I will bring lunch." I know I was offering to spend more money, but Bella was right, we would deal with it. We were going to be fine…we had to deal with much bigger issues than money.

"No need to bring lunch, I just put a pizza in the oven for myself, I can share."

"Nancy isn't there?" I asked.

"No, she is working. Come right on over, you sound like someone just kicked your puppy."

I smiled slightly. "I don't have a puppy."

"Shut up, just get your pretty butt over here so Karen can make it better." Oh how I loved her. She was a jokester, but she was also a very good friend and could give really good advice.

"I'll be there in five…thank you." I started the car up.

"See you soon." She said, and hung up. I pulled out of the parking lot, and made it to her house in less than five minutes. She lived close to the park so it didn't take me long at all. As I walked up the steps to her apartment, I smelt the pizza. My stomach rumbled, and I was reminded how I didn't even have breakfast this morning because I was too busy yelling at my three year old and pouting about a fucking toy. I was an asshole.

I knocked on the door, and she yelled for me to come in. The door was unlocked, so I did as she said. As I was walking into her kitchen, she was taking the pizza out of the oven, and placing it down on the stove.

She looked over at me. "Have a seat; I will get you some slices." She said. She already had two cans of Coke on the table and napkins waiting for us. I sat down wordlessly, and she came over with a paper plate with two slices of pepperoni pizza.

She sat across from me and started eating. "I feel kind of weird just walking in and eating." I said.

She shrugged and wiped some grease off her face with her napkin. "Why? You want to say grace first?" she asked.

I laughed. "No, I just haven't even said hi yet."

"Well…I'm waiting."

I smiled. "Hi, Karen."

"Hi, Edward, now shut up and eat." She said. I laughed and took a bite of one of the pieces. It wasn't bad for a frozen pizza. I started a conversation with Karen to just forget all of my shit for a while, and I really did want to know how she was doing. She told me that her and Nancy had an appointment to go to an orphanage right outside of town to see if they could find a child to bring home. The whole adoption process is long and tedious and they were finally getting what they really wanted in the end, and that was a child. I know the both of them would be amazing parents, and I am sure that kid would be one fun person to be around with parents like Karen and Nancy.

"So how long after you go there until you get to officially adopt?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "A couple of weeks, maybe a month."

"That is so long."

"I know, but we have already waited so long for this, we just figure, what is another month or two, you know?"

"Yeah I guess, but I bet it still gets frustrating."

"Oh yeah, of course, we fight more about the adoption than we do about anything else." She took a sip of her Coke; we were both already done eating. "Well not about it per say, but when we get news that there will be more waiting, we get in bad moods and just fight. It sucks."

"It will be worth it in the end though."

"Oh yeah, definitely. I can't wait!" She squealed and clapped her hands. I laughed at her.

"That's great, Karen, you both deserve kids."

"Thanks, now what's going on with you, pretty boy?"

I smiled at her choice of words. I am glad things haven't really changed with us since I left the agency. "Bella and I got in a fight, I guess you could say."

"About what, if I may ask?"

I sighed. "Money, but I was an ass. She was only trying to help."

"Alright, I'm lost, explain it to me in detail, my brain doesn't comprehend cryptic responses."

"You know how I lost my job right?" She nodded. "Well I have been pretty bitter about it, I guess you could say, and lately I have been in just a constant bad mood because of it. We are running low on money, bills need to be paid, Liam's birthday is coming up and we just don't have the money."

"I could help you out with that, Edward." She said.

"No." I said instantly. "That's not why I came here."

"I know, but you have to know the offer is there."

"Thank you." I said and she gestured for me to keep going. "Well, this morning I just woke up pissy. I yelled at Peyton for a fucking toy for God's sake." I was getting frustrated with myself. All the shit I did was so unnecessary. "I was doing some bills, and Bella was going to help, but I pretty much told her she wasn't allowed to. We yelled and argued, and I said something I really, really regret."

"What was it?" She prompted.

"I told her I didn't need her help, and that I already had to do it on my own when she was in rehab so she wasn't needed." I dropped my head in my hands. I really couldn't believe I said that. It must have made her feel so small and insignificant.

"That's a bad hit." Karen said. I nodded my head.

"I know it was, but I didn't mean it! I was just in that state of mind, you know? When you get so mad, shit just starts coming out, and you feel it isn't so bad when it comes out of your mouth, but then after all is said and done, you wonder how the hell you let yourself say something like that?"

"Yes, I know all about that, I think everyone does. Bella probably knows it too, and she will forgive you, Edward."

"I know she will, but I need to fucking stop being so anal about everything. I made the two most important girls in my life cry today. That shouldn't be happening."

"Look, what it sounds like is that you are just stressed out to the max. Not having a lot of money may feel like it is the end of the world, but it's not. You will get out of this, Edward. You both have gone through so much together, and it makes this little money problem seem so small." She was right of course. We don't have money right now, but there are ways to fix it. I could take my head out of my ass and file for unemployment or get a job at the grocery store or something. I was making a big deal out of nothing.

"I know, I don't know what has gotten into me."

"You just take the world on your shoulders, Edward. You feel if something goes wrong, you have to be the one to fix it, when that is not true. You have Bella, she is perfectly capable of helping you, you just have to let her."

"I know, I know. I just function better when I have a job. I like the schedule. Without a job, I don't know what to do with myself." I told her truthfully. I hated my job at the telemarketing place, but at least it gave me something to do, and I was actually being productive and making money.

"You will find a way, I am sure of it." She said and got up from the table. She started picking up the plates and cans. "I am going to bake some cookies; you might want to stay a while."

"Um…okay, but why may I ask?"

"Because you have some serious ass kissing to do in your future. Some Karen cookies will be a nice touch."

I laughed. "I guess you're right."

She smiled at me. "I always am."

* * *

Once I was back home, the house was empty. I expected it though because it was just about time for the kids to be picked up from school. I guess I should have called her and told her I would do it, but I kind of lost track of time, and Karen made a shit load of cookies.

I put the cookies on the counter and headed to my bedroom. Maybe there was some laundry I could fold or straighten up something. I felt horrible for the way I was acting earlier and I wished she was here so I could make it better and get this nagging feeling out of my stomach.

When I got in the room, I noticed Bella already got around to cleaning it. It was practically spotless and the bed was made and looking crisp. The only thing that marred the perfect looking room was a crumbled up piece of paper that was on the side of the small trash bin on Bella's side of the bed. My curiosity was peaked and I walked over to it.

It was crumbled pretty loosely, and I opened it up. The letter head had a logo for a local community college that was only right down the street. I used to drive by it on my way to work every day. I read the text:

_Bella Cullen, This is to inform you on your acceptance to the…_

I stopped reading as the wheels started turning in my head. _Bella applied to college? Why didn't she tell me? _She didn't mention college to me once! She got accepted though…that is amazing. But why was she throwing it in the trash? I wasn't dense, the answer was quite clear to me…but it still fucking hurt. Of course I made it so she would be afraid to approach me about college because college costs money.

I folded up the letter and put it in my pocket. We would talk about it later. She will go to college if that is what she wanted. I made a real big mess of things, and I needed to fix it. There wasn't much I could do without Bella and the kids here, but there was something I could do for now. I could do something productive for the better of my family.

I took my cell phone of out my pocket and called a number I hadn't called in a couple of weeks.

"Edward? Is that you?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, Mom, it's me."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Oh Edward, I am so sorry honey…please forgive me I…"

"Mom." I interrupted her. "Please, stop. Is Dad there?"

"Yes, he is. Alice is here too."

"Do you think you can call Emmett over? I need to talk with you all; I should be there in twenty minutes."

"I will call him; I think a little family meeting is a good idea, honey."

"Yeah…okay. See you soon."

"Bye, Edward."

"Bye."

Lets hope this ends well.

* * *

When I pulled up to the house, Emmett's truck was already in the driveway. Thankfully all of them were there already, because I really wanted this to be over with. I just wanted everything to go back to normal. As soon as I approached the door, my Mom opened the door for me. She smiled at me, and I tried to give her a big smile, but I don't think it worked that well because her face fell slightly.

"Come on in, honey. They are all in the living room." I nodded my head and followed her into the living room. All three of them were already seated. My Dad and Alice looked up at me when I walked in, but Emmett had his eyes on the ground. He was the one who seemed the most upset with the whole thing which is something I don't think I would ever understand.

"Hello, Edward." My Dad said.

"Hi, Dad." My Mom sat down next to him, and I was standing in front of all of them.

"What is this about, Edward?" Alice asked. "Is it about Christmas?"

I nodded my head. "That and about Bella."

Emmett sighed. "What did she do now?"

I was planning on being calm through this whole thing, but Emmett's attitude just got me tense, and I didn't feel like being nice anymore. I laughed humorlessly. "She didn't do anything, you all did something. Do you all not realize how cold you are too her?"

"Edward, that's not it…" My Mom started, but I interrupted her again.

"But it is! You all are judging her on one little mistake she made."

"It wasn't one mistake, bro." Emmett said with a little less vindictiveness in his voice.

"No, it was one mistake. Bella was an alcoholic, and she needed to get help. She gets help, and you all don't support her? You call yourself her family? My family?" I was in my element right then. My job used to be to convince people to believe my idea was what would help them. I was a good persuasive speaker; it was what made me feel like I was doing something important. It was good to use that skill now. I needed to make them believe what they have really no reason to be mean to Bella, because it was the truth. They had no reason, she was back, she was herself again, she hasn't picked up a drink, she is going to college…she needs their support. I need them to support her because I didn't want to be on bad terms with them anymore.

"Edward, we just didn't like what she did to you." Alice said.

"What she did to me? I am pretty sure she didn't drink with the intention of hurting me, Alice. Give her a little more credit. She had an illness, and she was having trouble going through it. Yes, it hurt me, and yes, my life got fucking complicated because of it, but that shit doesn't bother me now, so it shouldn't bother you."

"Edward, she left you pretty much a single parent, she would drink around the kids." Alice said.

"You think I don't know that? You think I haven't gotten angry at her for that? I am not as stupid as you all think." I was pacing now. I had to make this work.

"We never said that, Edward." My Dad said.

"Well you sure as hell make it seem that way. I love Bella. I don't know how much more I have to say it to you all for you to get it, but I love her."

"We know that, Edward." My Mom said. She looked like she would be crying soon. I felt bad I ignored them for that long. I know how I would feel if one of my kids ignored me for a couple of weeks.

"Then why can't you all understand? Why can't you wrap your head around the idea that I stood by my wife in one of the toughest times in her life? Are you saying you wouldn't do that for your husbands and wives? The person you love and can't live without?" They were all silent. They didn't answer because they knew the answer as soon as I said it. I could see the wheels turning. Maybe I could do this.

"Edward…it will just take some time. It was hard for us to see you so emotionally distraught over the whole thing. We love you, honey." My Mom said, I was right about the tears. I saw one of them fall and she wiped it away.

"I love you too, Mom." I said softer now. Yes, I was mad at them, but I wasn't planning on badgering them. This was a peace offering…take it or leave it. "I love every single one of you, I really do. Even though you all pissed me off on Christmas and all the other times you didn't support Bella, I still love you all and would take a bullet for any of you. I really owe you all my life. I mean you all adopted me into your family when my parents died. You made me feel like I belonged, and made me feel loved, and I will forever be indebted to you all for that."

"We did that because we love you, Edward." My Dad said.

"I get that, Dad, I really do. What I am saying now is please…please stop treating Bella like an outsider." I plead with them. "We are a package deal, and without her there would be no Edward, or Liam, or Peyton. Shouldn't that be enough for you all to forgive her, and treat her like a part of this family?"

"Things can't just go back to normal, Edward." Emmett said.

"And why not?" I said loudly. "Why the hell not? Bella made a mistake, I am not denying that but so the fuck what? What is done is done and we should all move on. Everyone, I don't care who you are or where you come from, screws up once in their life. I don't know if you heard this, but no one is perfect. Screwing up is a part of life, and in the end we just have to accept that, work through the problem, and move on. Dwelling on one mistake and messing up the relationship of a family is useless. It is fucking useless. We should all be grateful that Bella got out of that, and my family is still intact after all of that and the kids are happy. There are many people who have it worse than this family, and we should just be grateful. You all say you love me, and I believe you, but I want you to prove it to me by accepting all of me, and loving all of me, because Bella is a part of me. Can you please just do that so I can have some peace of mind and have my family back?"

They didn't respond right away. I felt what I said may have worked a little because they didn't know what to say. They must have realized I was right, because I was. I realized after I said it that I should take my own advice and stop dwelling on something so small as a small lack of money. Things can always be worse.

"You're right." I was surprised to hear those words come out of Emmett's mouth. He actually looked at me now. "You are right, Edward, but you do see where we are coming from don't you?"

I sighed. "Yes. Yes I do. You want to know how I know?" I asked rhetorically. "I know because Bella explained it to me. She isn't upset with you all, she understands. But I can still tell it hurts her. She loves you all, you were her only family growing up, and you all pretty much turned your back on her. Can't you see the injustice in that?"

My Mom was really crying now and she buried her face in my Dad's chest. "I think I can speak for all of us when we say sorry." My Dad said. Alice, Emmett, and my mother all nodded their heads.

"It's okay. Just please treat her normally."

"It may take time for things to go right back to normal, Edward." Alice said. "But we will be more accepting, and hopefully things will just fall back into place."

"That's all I ask. I just don't want her to feel like she doesn't belong, because she does. And like I said, don't think Bella sent me here or anything, she understands how you all feel, and I know she will wait as long as it takes."

"I will call her." My Mom said. "Maybe we can have a girl's day or something to reconnect."

"I think she would like that." I said with a real smile now. It felt like another weight was lifted off my shoulders. "Liam's party is this Saturday too, so hopefully that can end a little better than Christmas?"

"Of course." My Dad said. I looked around to everyone else, and they nodded their heads.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

My Mom got up from the couch and walked up to me with outstretched arms. She pulled me in for a hug, and it was nice hugging her again. "No need to thank us, honey."

I felt a heavier set of arms around me, and I didn't know what I said to sway Emmett, but I am glad I said it. I looked over him quizzically. "I'm in the mood for a group hug, what can I say?" He said.

I laughed and so did my Mom. Alice and my Dad joined us and Emmett got his group hug and I got my family back.

It felt good.

* * *

When I got home, I felt a little lighter, but only a little. I got the situation with my family cleared out, but I still had two girls at home who were probably upset with me. As soon as I opened the door, I had a little body attack me and started spouting off words at me.

"Dad, look! Look I got chosen to be in the spelling bee!" Liam said and handed me a paper after he let go of my waist.

I looked down at the letter, and indeed he was. "Wow, Liam that is so great!"

"Yeah! I am the youngest one! The next youngest one is twelve!"

I put my hand out for a high five. He slapped my hand enthusiastically. "Nice, I'm proud of you, bud."

"Thanks! I am going to go study."

"Study?" How do you study for a spelling bee?

"Dictionary…duh." My kid is a nerd. What eight almost nine year old reads the dictionary? Maybe it was my fault having him do all those crosswords with me when he was younger. I even knew then he was a word nerd.

He ran off to read his dictionary, and I went into the kitchen where I smelt the food cooking. I knew Peyton was still mad at me, because she was usually the first one to greet me at the door, but not today. I went into the kitchen and found Bella sitting at the table looking at a magazine. She was probably just waiting for the food to cook.

She looked up at me when I walked in, and no emotion came over her face. She had a wall up, and I would take it down. I sat down beside her at the table, and she didn't even acknowledge I was there.

"What's for dinner?" I asked.

"Lasagna." She answered shortly.

"It smells good." She just nodded her head. Ugh…I hate when she is mad at me. "I brought cookies from Karen. Did you see them?"

She nodded. "I put them away for after dinner. Peyton stole one though." She flipped the page of the magazine.

"She's still mad at me isn't she?"

"Yes."

"And you are too?"

She hesitated. "I don't know."

"You should be."

"I didn't mean to be overbearing, I was only trying to help."

"I know."

She finally turned towards me. "You know, all I want to do is make things easier for you, Edward. I try to do it the best way I can, but sometimes you just won't let me. I want to get a job so we have income, but you won't let me."

"It's my job to get income, Bella."

She groaned and pulled at her hair. "But it isn't, Edward! We live in the 21st century, and it is time for you to get with the program. No one will think you a bad father or husband if I get a job and you don't."

"I know that, but I would rather I did, so you can stay home with the kids."

"Yes, and I like staying home with the kids, but I spend six hours a day while they are in school sitting at home when I could be working."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I think I am too." She turned back to the magazine and flipped another page.

"Bella…about what I said before…I was just stressed out. I didn't mean one word of it."

"It's true though." I went to say something, but she turned to me again and held her hand up. "Don't say it isn't because it is. You did have to support our family solely on your own while I was a drunken fool. That is the truth. And I know it is different having me back and all that, and I know it will take time for us to get back into a set rhythm. Julia and I talk about it a lot."

"Okay, but I still shouldn't have said it like that. Don't think I don't want you to help, or I don't think you worthy of helping me, because it is not true."

"Okay, I believe you." She turned back to the magazine.

"Are you still mad at me?"

She shrugged. "A little bit. You have been difficult to live with these past couple of weeks."

She was right yet again. "Do the cookies help a little?" I asked hopefully and I saw the corner of her mouth crack into a smile.

"A little."

I scooted closer to her and put my arm around her waist. "You look beautiful today."

She laughed softly. "You saying I look ugly all other days?"

"No! You look beautiful all the time." I kissed her temple and ran my hand along her waist.

"Thank you." I kissed her neck and she finally wrapped her arms around me.

"I love you; please don't be mad at me anymore." I said into her neck and started kissing her in a place I know she liked to be kissed. She moaned softly.

"Fine, I guess I won't be mad anymore."

I lifted my head and kissed her mouth. Soon her tongue was dancing with mine and things got a little heated. A little too heated when the kids were in the next room. I pulled away from her when I remembered something.

"We have to talk about something else." I said to her. She got up and sat in my lap with her arms around my neck.

"Okay, and what is that?" I put my hand in my pocket and took out the crumbled up piece of paper. She must have noticed what it was instantly because she sighed. I unfolded it and put it down on the table.

"Why did I find this crumbled on the ground?" I asked her.

"It was just an idea. I can't go to school now anyway."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I wanted to make sure I got accepted first. It was supposed to be a surprise I guess. I don't know, it was stupid."

"It is not stupid, Bella. You want to go back to school? That is great, love."

"I sent the application in two days after Christmas before you got laid off. It can wait I guess, until we have more money."

"Absolutely not." I said instantly. "You can start right away if you want to. Like you said, we will get out of this. There is financial aid and all other kinds of loans we could get for you. If this is something you want, you get to have it. Don't let my whining about money get in your way."

"Really?" She asked hopefully. I could tell from her eyes that this was something she really did want to do.

"Really." I kissed the side of her head and she relaxed against me. "So what do you want to go for?" I asked her.

"Psychology I think. I would like to have an opportunity to help kids in similar situations I had growing up. I feel I have done a lot of growing, and I learned a lot."

"I think that is perfect, love. You have grown and it is honorable you want to pass your knowledge down to other kids." I kissed the side of her head again and she sighed in contentment. We were interrupted when I heard a set of little feet stomping into the kitchen. I looked up and Peyton was stomping in with her little lips pursed and one sock on and one off. She was looking up and not making eye contact with me at all. She had a Barbie doll in her hand.

She approached us. "Mommy, can you put my doll's arm back on?"

Bella had a smirk on her face. Peyton was definitely still mad at me and was being rather dramatic about it. "Sure, baby." She took the doll from Peyton and put the arm back on. "How did you do that?" She asked her.

"Liam did it. I was calling him a geek face because he is reading a big boring book with no pictures." She said while smoothing the hair down on her doll.

"That wasn't nice, honey. He is studying for school."

She shrugged. "Oh well." She turned and stomped away without looking at me once. It was like I wasn't even in the room.

I sighed. "I take it she really is still mad at me."

"I would say so." She got up from my lap and kissed my forehead quickly. "You got some s'plainin to do, Mr. Cullen."

I got up from the chair. "Yes I do." I went into the living room where she was. Liam was on the couch and she was playing on the floor. There were facecloths all over the place as she liked to use them as bed covers and all other shit I didn't understand. I never played with Barbies in case that wasn't clear.

I sat down beside her. "Hi, baby." I said.

She held up the doll she had in her hand to my face. "Peyton doesn't want to talk to you, mister." She said in a different voice. I smiled, even when she was mad at me, she was still so fucking cute.

I picked up another doll and held it up to her face. "Well can you tell Peyton that her Daddy just wants to say sorry for being a meanie head this morning?" I said in a high voice. Liam was laughing quietly behind me and Peyton was trying not to smile.

"She said you were a really big meanie head." She didn't use the doll this time; she instead was just playing around with the doll's hair.

"I know I was and I'm sorry."

She looked at me this time with her big green eyes. "I just forgot to pick that one up! I didn't mean for it to hurt your foot, Daddy!"

"I know, I know, I was just in a bad mood, and I took it out on you. I am sorry. Can you forgive me?"

She sighed dramatically. "Fine, I guess so."

"Can I have a hug? I missed you today, baby." She got up from her spot on the floor and wrapped her arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her little cheeks. "Thank you, honey."

"Promise you won't be grumpy Daddy anymore?" She asked.

"Yeah, I promise. No more grumpy Daddy." I looked over at Liam. "Get over here, kid. I missed you too." He put his dictionary down on the couch and came over. He hugged me from my other side, and I got my second group hug in one day.

This day wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I guess all 'bad days' aren't really that bad after all. Things could always be worse. I just need to be thankful for what I do have, and not forget how lucky we are no matter what happens.

* * *

**Hey everyone! I hope you all liked this chapter, I know Edward was being a grouchy, meanie head in the beginning, but not everyone is perfect and he learned his lesson. We all have off days, don't you agree? **

**At this point, there are only two more chapters and an epilogue left. This makes me very sad, but I guess it's a good way to end the year by ending a story that I love and that means a lot to me. **

**Sorry if I didn't reply to your review last chapter, I have been a little busy, but I send all of you virtual Karen cookies, that's a good start right? lol **

**I will update again ASAP. Review please :]**


	40. Chapter 39: Pride

**Chapter 39: Pride  
January 22, 2011**

**EPOV **

"Are you okay, love?" I asked her for what had to be at least the tenth time that day and it wasn't even noon yet. It was a tough day though. We didn't know just how tough until about an hour after we woke up, but today I think is a make it or break it day. I was freaking out, so I couldn't even imagine how Bella was doing.

"I'm fine." She said. Oh yes, she's fine. I believe the word 'fine' being used as a way of describing one's feelings has completely lost its meaning. It is just the first word that comes to a person to ease the troubles of others for their inner turmoils they didn't want to make known. Fine means the total opposite.

I knew when to back off though. I had to let her get through stuff in her head on her own. I would be there for support whenever she needed me, but so far, she has been doing well considering. I could see the distant look she had in her eyes, but she masked it well. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing yet.

She was busying herself with whatever was in front of her. She was cleaning anything and everything. She was currently cleaning out the fridge. She pulled out all the food and all the shelves and she was cleaning all of them with bleach. She was wearing one of my old t-shirts, my drawstring sweatpants, and her hair in a messy bun. She didn't even bother getting ready this morning.

"You want me to order something for lunch?" I asked her from my spot on top of the counter. I wasn't going to interrupt her. The kids were with Charlie and Sue for lunch, and they should be here soon, but Bella and I haven't eaten yet.

"I'm not that hungry." She said as she took one of the drawers out of the fridge and onto the island.

"I can make us something small…you didn't have breakfast." I said tentatively. I didn't really know exactly how her mood was. She has been quiet, but I have left her alone for the most part. I didn't want her to snap at me, but she really should eat.

"Sure, if you want." She said. She took out a glass jar of green olives and I watched as it slipped from her hand. The condensation from the fridge being open probably caused the easy slip. "Shit." She said as the jar shattered on the ground in front of her.

She seemed to just get plain mad at dropping the jar and she started to walk over it. "Bella, stop!" I said as she walked right over one of the pieces. She stepped off of it and I saw some blood on the floor. She hissed in a breath, but otherwise kept walking. I hopped down from the counter; I had enough free room so I didn't step on the glass. I went to go after her, but she was already coming back with a broom.

She walked straight past me and started to sweep the glass and olives. She stepped on another piece of glass accidently and cursed under her breath. She was taking her frustration out on the glass on the floor as she swept fast and furiously. I was left once again not knowing what to do. I ran my hands through my hair as I watched her continue sweeping. She was biting her quivering lip to keep from crying.

I took a step forward and tried to get the broom from her hands. "Let me do it, Bella. Just take a break, please."

"No, I have to keep busy." She said stubbornly and ripped the broom away from me.

"You aren't doing yourself any good right now. Just relax, love."

"Edward, if I just sit down and think about all of this fucking shit, I will want to drink. Please, I am trying really, really hard not to do that right now." Her words stunned me. I let myself believe that her urge to drink was relinquished. She never talked about wanting to drink until right now.

Of course Renee would be a part of that reason.

"Okay…what if you just come sit with me in the living room? I will put a movie on or something. You are getting too stressed, love." She kept shaking her head and she got down to put the glass and olives in the dust pan. "Do it for me, Bella. I hate seeing you like this."

She sighed and got up from the ground. She looked at me; she looked so lost. "Okay. Just let me wash the floor and put everything back."

"Can I help?" I asked her hesitantly. I didn't want to push her.

She nodded her head slightly, and I helped her put everything back in the fridge. We were both silent while doing it, and I could tell she was deep in thought. She was nervous.

When all was put away, I grabbed her hand, and led her to the living room. She sat down on the couch, and I went to find us a DVD to watch. I really wanted to watch 'The Hangover', but I didn't really want that playing when the kids walked in. "What do you want to watch, love?" I asked her.

She didn't answer, and when I looked over, she was staring at her hands that she was wringing on her lap. That was a nervous twitch of hers, and I could never get the image of a young Bella out of my head when she did that. Images of a young Bella always hurt me. Young Bella got treated so unfairly, yet she was still so sweet, and my best friend.

I sighed and just forgot about the movie. I went and sat down next to her. She didn't look up at me as she was still deep in thought. I rubbed my hand on her back. I was giving her space, but still letting her know I was there. She closed her eyes when my hand touched her back and a tear fell out.

"Oh Bella…" I pulled her to my chest and she clung to the front of my shirt.

"What if she gets out? What will I do?" She asked me in between catches of breath.

"You don't have to do anything."

"Edward, you know if she gets out, she will come here. You know that."

I did know that, and that was why I was hoping she would be sentenced to go to jail. Today was the day we would find out. Bella got a call early this morning from Jasper as he gave her the news. Renee's trial was today, and it could go one of two ways. Five to ten years in jail, or she gets set free. According to Jasper, she told the court she really wanted to turn her life around, and she has been sober since she has been in jail. Jasper said he thinks the judge will let her free. I didn't want to believe him.

"We can get a restraining order…"

"Yeah, like that really worked last time." She said frustratingly. I sighed. I didn't know what the right thing to say at this point was.

"We don't even know if she is going to be set free."

"You heard Jasper! He said he thought they would let her go."

"Yeah, but Jasper doesn't know everything, love. The judge could be having a bad day or something."

She lifted herself out of my arms and brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "No, he won't. She is going to be set free because that is just my luck."

"Oh Bella, please don't start that. You don't know what is going to happen."

She just shook her head and went again to thinking. She wiped her tears away and put her legs back down. "Do you think if she wanted to change, I would have to forgive her?"

"No. You don't _have_ to do anything, Bella." That I was for sure of. "You owe her nothing."

"But you gave me a second chance, and so did your family. Wouldn't I seem like a hypocrite if I don't do the same for her?" She was really considering this. This is what she must have been thinking about that whole time. I could kind of understand what she was saying, but in the end, the situations weren't the same at all.

"No, you didn't do half of the horrible things she did to you."

"Didn't I though?" She asked with her eyes now completely on me.

I groaned. "Bella, stop with this shit already! You aren't like her!" I said in exasperation. I rubbed my hands over my face and then through my hair. She was stressing me out with all this. She was comparing herself to her mother again and it pissed me off. I hated her mother with a passion, and I loved her with a passion. There was no correlation.

"No, no, I know that. I know I am not like her in character or whatever, but what she did only hurt me and she didn't even care about me." I let out a quick frustrated sigh. "Babe, calm down, just hear me out." She said and grabbed my hand. I calmed slightly at her touch, and I nodded my head for her to continue. "Yeah, like I said…she hurt me, but I hurt so much more people with my stupid mistakes. I hurt the kids, and you, and your family…that is far more damage than anything she did."

"But what you fail to see is that she was catalyst for the whole thing. She was a horrible mother to you, she never cared to get help, and that was why you were an alcoholic. Not only was it in your blood from both Charlie and Renee, but you were mentally, emotionally, and physically abused by her."

I could tell she knew I was right, but she just looked away and shook her head as if she didn't want to believe it. "I just don't know what to do, Edward." She said softly, and her voice cracked.

I put my finger under her chin and pulled her face up so she can look at me. "Do what you feel is right, but I am going to tell you right now…don't expect her to turn around and be a nice mother. She has been like this for so long now, it is probably impossible for her to change."

A tear fell from her eye and I pulled her to my chest. She clung to me as she silently cried into my shirt. "I just want her to go to jail. Whenever I think about her, I get into a bad place."

"Then don't think about it for now, love. You don't know what is going to happen, so don't think about the what ifs until we know some facts, alright?"

"Kay." I wiped away her tears for her and she looked up at me with wet eyes. There were dark bags under her eyes from exhaustion.

"Why don't you take a nap? It will help take your mind off things."

"But what if they call…"

"I said not to think of it, love. You want to go upstairs?"

"Will you come with me?" She asked hopefully.

"Of course."

* * *

Luckily Bella fell asleep rather quickly once we were up in bed. I could tell she was really tired. We went to bed late the night before because we were otherwise occupied if you know what I mean, and then we got that phone call so early in the morning. I was pretty much a pro on running on little to no sleep, and I still had some caffeine running in my system. My phone started ringing beside me, and I picked it up so I wouldn't wake Bella.

I looked to see it was just a text from Sue saying they were on their way to drop the kids off. I guess me trying to take a nap was out of the picture, and I carefully moved out of Bella's grasp and replaced myself with a pillow. She didn't stir that much and she was thankfully still sleeping nice and sound. I kissed her head before grabbing my phone and walking out the door.

They all showed up around five minutes later. I was eating some Doritos to hold me over because I was kind of hungry. That got me to thinking how hungry Bella would have been. I should have tried to make her eat first. I met them at the door and Peyton ran straight at me. I picked her up and kissed her.

She pushed my face away. "Ew…you have a stinky breath Daddy."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I do. Doritos smell horrible."

"Doritos aren't healthy for you…Mommy says so." She told me a-matter-of-factly.

"Yes, and Mommy is right, but I was hungry."

She shrugged and tried to get down. She ran off into the living room with Liam and I heard them turn the TV on. Charlie was standing at the door. "Is she doing okay?"

I shrugged. "She is kind of confused I guess. She's taking it pretty hard, but we still don't know what is going to happen."

He nodded his head in understanding. "I will be here later, alright? I have to go with Sue to her parent's house for a couple of hours, but I will be here later to talk to her. Hopefully I can be here when she finds out."

"It will be good news." I said with determination. I was thinking if I believed it enough, it would happen and we wouldn't have to see or think about her for a long time. "It has to be…" I added as an afterthought.

"Hopefully. How are you doing, kid?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm alright, she just kind of scared me before when she said she was trying not to drink."

A pained expression came on Charlie's face. "I will definitely be here later on. We won't let that happen, Edward, alright? It's as simple as that…we won't let it happen."

He made it sound so easy…I hope it would be. I don't think my heart or my mind could take seeing her spiral back into that dark place. She has been doing so well, but it is like Renee was the trigger that set her off every time. I will be happy to be rid of her so Bella will never leave us again.

"See you later." I said and he nodded and then walked out the door. I heard a bang come from the living room, and I instantly ran inside. I groaned when I saw it was Peyton and Liam that caused the bang and were both now on the floor fighting for the remote.

"Give me! I don't like boy shows!" Peyton yelled as she tried to pry the remote out of Liam's hands.

"No, I am older, I get the remote." Liam said and finally got it free from Peyton's grasp, but that didn't stop her from diving at it again.

I walked over to them wordlessly, reached my hand down and took it from both of them with a little force. I turned the TV off. "Hey!" They both said.

"Too bad. If you two are going to fight, there will be no TV." I said and put it up high on the hutch so neither one of them could reach it.

"Aw come on Dad!" Liam said.

"Daddy, that's not fair!" Peyton whined.

"It is very fair. You both are brother and sister, and you shouldn't be fighting with each other like that. Now go find something else to do and I will tell you when I am ready to let you both watch TV again."

"It's all your fault, Liam."

"No! It's yours I…"

"Hey!" I interrupted them. "Stop. The more you fight, the longer it will be before you get to watch TV, so make up your mind."

They both huffed and stomped away. I rolled my eyes. When they get older, they will realize how stupid that fight actually was. I remember when my parents would do that to me and Emmett; I would think they were the meanest people. They probably don't like me much now, but they will get over it.

I heard footsteps walking down the stairs and Bella walked into the room looking even more tired. She only slept for about 20 minutes. "Mommy! Daddy won't let us watch TV!" Peyton told her.

Bella walked up to her and lifted her in her arms. She pulled her close and sat on the couch with her, not responding to her question right away. I knew what she was doing. She was holding Peyton to calm her nerves. Liam and Peyton had that effect on us, and that is why it would be impossible to live without them. They held us both together in more ways than one.

Liam, my big man, must have noticed Bella's state as he walked away from the bookshelf and sat next to her on the couch. He hugged her arm to him, and she smiled down at him. "Mommy, are you listening?" Peyton said.

"Why won't he let you watch TV, honey?" She asked Peyton.

"Because me and Liam were fighting over the remote."

"Well then no TV. What Daddy says, goes." I swear I love her more every second of every day. She could have easily gave into them and let them watch TV, but she respected the decision I made as a parent, and didn't contradict me. I wouldn't do that to her either of course, but it was nice to know that we really were a team in everything in life. She was my lifelong partner.

When Peyton realized she wasn't going anywhere with her reasoning, she finally relaxed and went back to her old self. Bella asked the kids if they wanted to color with her for a while, and of course they both agreed. I had some phone calls I had to make in regards to getting a freaking job, so I left them to it. Bella wanted me to join them, but I told her I would join them after.

The phone call process was tedious and unsatisfactory. No one was hiring. I applied to ten places, and everyone said the whole 'don't call us, we'll call you.' It was pissing me off, because I hated being unemployed. I filed for unemployment, and I got it, so we had that unemployment check which prevented a couple of grays from forming on my head, so it was good to have. We also got rid of the house phone since Bella and I both had cell phones, and the extra expense was only an annoyance.

It still didn't do much for me though. I wanted a job. A job like I had at the agency would be wonderful, but I don't see that happening for me any time soon. There weren't that many in Seattle, and I didn't feel like traveling for work, so I was pretty screwed in that area. So instead, I applied for whatever was out there. That including grocery stores, department stores, the hospital for desk work…just anything really.

Bella has mentioned wanting a job, but I just didn't think that was such a good idea. She starts school in the fall, and she shouldn't have all of that stress on her especially if I get a job. After I made my last phone call, and they said they would call back if there was an opening, I just gave up for the day. There was no need of stressing about it when there were much more important things to worry about like my wife whose terrible mother may be let free from prison and be able to wreak havoc on our lives once again. It was a scary thing to think about.

I went back downstairs in the living room where they were coloring on the coffee table, and saw only the kids sitting there now. "Hey, where is your Mom?" I asked them as I made it to bottom of the steps.

"Talking on the phone." Peyton said and my heart dropped. _Holy shit, could that be the call? _

"Be right back." I told the kids and went into the kitchen where I figured Bella was since she didn't go upstairs. I was right, and she was in the kitchen. She was standing at the island…the phone wasn't in her hands, but rather sitting on the island in front of her. She had her hands braced on the surface, and her shoulders were tense. I mentally prepared myself before I approached her. I prepared for the worse.

"Bella?" I said softly as not to startle her, but I guess no matter how soft my voice was, it wasn't enough. She jumped out of her train of thought, and turned towards me. I couldn't tell anything from her face because it was completely emotionless. I walked up to her slowly, and took both her hands in mine. Her hands didn't clasp around mine like they usually did. She was numb. I knew the news without her having to say the words.

"We need a babysitter." She said in a dead voice. She was scaring me, I was watching her fade away from me, and a drunk Bella came to my mind. I was fucking scared. But it was like Charlie said; I wouldn't let it happen.

"Why?" I asked her hesitantly.

"I don't want them here when she comes." She said with a small hint of emotion in her voice. It was fear.

I brought my hands to either side of her face. I wouldn't leave her side until I know that she was back to me. I wouldn't let her leave to think things through like she used to. If she felt pain, or worry, or panic, I would feel it with her. I wouldn't allow for her to have the urge to drink again. I couldn't.

"I can call my parents or your Dad…whichever you would like."

"Either one. Ask if they could sleep over. I think they will like that no?"

"I am sure they would love a sleepover." I told her reassuringly. I pulled her to my chest, but she pushed me away. _Fuck, please don't let this happen again. _

"I need to be alone." She said and ran her hands through her hair.

"No!" I said a little too loudly, and she looked at me in surprise. "No, Bella. Just stay with me, alright? I will call my parents." I figured my parents would be the better idea because I want Charlie to be here. She needs all the support she can get right now. The kids would be even better to keep her head on straight, but I agreed with her…I didn't want the kids here at all if Renee were to come over here, which I am sure she will do.

"Please, Edward. I will go upstairs. I just need room to think." I couldn't come up with an excuse of how that would be a bad idea, so I let her. There was no alcohol up there, and I would not let her leave this house.

"Okay…but if you need me, just call, alright?" She nodded her head, and walked tensely out of the kitchen. I groaned and rubbed my hands over my face and through my hair. I had to have a clear head, so I could help Bella deal with this. When Renee was sent back to jail, I was hoping to never have to see her again, but I probably would now. It was horrible to think about.

I got my phone, and called my parents. They accepted to take the kids for the night, and even asked how Bella was dealing with the whole thing. Thankfully my family was done being assholes, and things were slowly but surely going back to normal when it came to them. I went into the living room, and smiled at the scene before me. Peyton was leaning on Liam's side as he was reading a book to her. He was reading 'Stellaluna' to her, and she was deeply interested. It was a completely different scene to walk in on compared to earlier when they were fighting over the remote control.

I sat down beside Liam, and put my arm on the back of the couch. Liam finished reading a page, and then looked up at me. "Hey, Dad."

"Hey, bud."

"You want to listen to the story too, Daddy? It is really good!" Peyton said without getting up from leaning on Liam.

"Sure, but first I want to ask you both something. How would you like to sleepover Nana and Grandpa's tonight?"

That got Peyton all kinds of excited and she immediately went to jumping on the couch. "Yes!" Liam and I laughed at her.

"Alright, honey, stop jumping. I don't want you to get hurt." I said and grabbed her arm so she went back to the sitting position on the couch. That didn't stop her from bouncing in her place though.

"It would be so fun!"

"Yeah, that sounds cool." Liam said.

"Great, well they will be here soon to pick you both up, so why don't we go upstairs and pack your bags."

"You have to pack your bags too, Daddy." Peyton said.

"No, baby, your Mom and I will stay here."

A pout formed on her lips. "But why can't you come with us? I will miss you! How are you going to kiss me goodnight?"

Oh how she leaves me defenseless with that look. "I will give you an extra kiss before you leave, and you can call us before bed."

"But that's not the same!" She said and crossed her arms in front of her…pout still in place.

"It's okay, Peyton. It will be fine. I will be there." Liam said comfortingly. He went through the same phase. He never wanted to sleep out because he didn't feel comfortable sleeping without his parents there. I knew the feeling. After my parents died, I barely slept at all because I didn't feel safe without them there, even though I knew Esme and Carlisle would never let anything happen to me, it was not the same.

"We will pick you up as soon as possible tomorrow, so don't worry too much about it, honey. You will be having so much fun, you will forget to miss Mommy and I." I reassured her. She reached over Liam and I took her into my lap. She snuggled up to my chest, and I kissed the top of her head.

"Okay, if you say so, Daddy." She said.

"I do say so. So are you ready to get your stuff together?" I asked the both of them.

"Can we finish the book first?" Peyton asked.

_How could I say no?_

"Hello?" Charlie called as he walked right in the front door. The door was locked, but he had a key. Bella was rigid leaning into my side. We were sitting on the couch silently. The kids left a couple hours ago, and it was now just around seven at night. It was a waiting game at this point. It has been so long since she has been released, and I was beginning to doubt she would even come. It would be amazing if she didn't.

"We're in here!" I called to Charlie, and I heard his heavy shoes walk across the floor to us. He patted my shoulder as he walked by, and knelt down in front of Bella.

He swept his index finger along her cheek, and she smiled slightly. "How are you doing, darling?"

"I don't know." She said softly. She has been quiet pretty much the whole time. Whenever I would try to talk about something to just get her mind off things, she would just revert back to silence. I wish I knew what she was thinking of that whole time.

"What are you most afraid of?" He asked her.

"I don't want her to come here." She said.

"And there is a chance she won't." He answered.

"She will." Bella said confidently. "I know she will…she has nowhere else to go." I was still doubtful, but I wouldn't fight her on it. Charlie seemed to have the same idea as he just rose from his kneeling position. He kissed Bella's forehead and sat on the chair, making himself comfortable. I knew he wouldn't leave unless he knew she was okay.

He was a nice distraction for her. They started talking about random things. They were still getting to know each other, so they barely ever ran out of things to talk about. I mostly just listened and put my own input in here and there. Charlie did most of the talking. He talked about his childhood and all the crazy things he used to get into. It was weird thinking of him as a crazy kid. He was so mature now. It was impossible to imagine. Bella listened with rapt attention, and I soon felt like I was intruding on some father-daughter time. I went to get up, but Bella held onto me.

"Where are you going?" She asked me.

"Just around, I can give you both some time to talk." I said to her.

"No, just stay, please? You aren't interrupting anything."

"Yeah, don't be crazy, Edward." Charlie said. I shrugged my shoulders and agreed to stay. If they didn't mind me being there, I didn't mind it either. "So yeah, like I was saying. The craziest thing that happened to me was when I woke up in a woman's dress."

Bella let out a snort. "How did that happen?"

"I have no idea…I was like sixteen at the time."

Bella started laughing for a reason I didn't know. "Edward dressed as a girl once."

_Oh no she fucking didn't. _"Bella!" I said in shock, and she just buried her face in my chest and laughed. "You promised never to mention that again!"

She was just laughing uncontrollably now, and her laughing set off Charlie. "Whoa, Edward. Didn't know you had it in you." He said between chuckles.

"I didn't have it in me. It was stupid." I said in a bitter tone. I do not like to think of that day at all. It was definitely the most embarrassing day of my life. I could have killed Emmett with my bare hands that day.

"He put on the wig….and the-the dress…lip gloss…heels." Bella said in between laughs. I put my hand over her mouth to shut her up, but she just moved my hand away. "It's okay, baby. You were a pretty girl." She said with another laugh.

"I am not your friend anymore, I swear to God." I said and looked up at the ceiling. She laughed and kissed me on the cheek.

"You're my best friend, and you know it." She said as she kissed my face.

"Well tell me what happened!"

"We were playing truth or dare, and Edward got dare. Emmett dared him to dress as a girl and go to the old man's house next door and ask him for sugar." She explained to him. I just closed my eyes and shook my head. Not one of my finest moments.

"Wow, Edward. Are dares really that important to you?"

"I was fourteen, and stupid. Plus, Emmett said if I didn't do it that meant I didn't love Bella. So I did it."

"Yeah, it was really sweet even though he didn't have to prove his love to me by cross-dressing." She let out a laugh at the last part and started laughing uncontrollably again. It was good to see her laughing, but damn…does it have to be about this?

"Shut it, Bella."

Charlie was looking at us with an amused expression and laughing softly. "Well, what happened next?" He asked. If looks could kill, Charlie would have been an instant dead man with the look I gave him in that moment. He just laughed. _Fucker. _

"Well, he went over there and…" She was going to finish, but then reality set in upon us at the sound of the front doorbell.

_She is here._

Bella's happy mood just seconds ago instantly went away, and she grew rigid in my arms. The mood in the room went from joyful to tense in the time it took for the sound of the doorbell to register in our ears. Charlie got up from the chair, and I got up as well. Bella stayed glued to my side, and I rubbed her arm soothingly.

"I can go answer it…" Charlie said.

"No." Bella interrupted. "I will get it." I looked down at her, and the new determination in her face and posture stunned me. She was ready to face this head on, and I was so proud of her.

"You sure, love?" I asked her.

She leaned up, and gave me a kiss. It was kind of random in that situation, but maybe she just needed that reassurance and closeness to reassure her. I would give it to her. When she pulled away, she squeezed my hand, and let go.

"You both can come, but I will deal with this." Charlie and I both nodded our head as Renee rang the doorbell again. Bella sighed, and walked ahead of us. Charlie and I both followed her to the door. My palms were sweating. I hope this doesn't cause a setback for Bella.

She opened the door, and sure enough, Renee was there. If possible, she looked even older than the last time I saw her all those months ago. Her face presented more wrinkles, and I could tell she gained some weight. But the most major difference I noticed was the change in her entire presence. She didn't look angry, or conniving, or ready to start a fight like she usually is. No…today she looked like a lost child. She looked scared and desperate.

I suppose any other person who saw her like that would feel bad…not me. I don't think I could ever forgive Renee for what she did to Bella ever in my life. I don't think I have to.

"Hi Bella, can I come in?" She said. Her voice cracked and she had to clear her throat. She was emotional…or at least it seemed that way.

"Sure." Bella said shortly. Renee walked into the house, and Bella shut the door behind her.

I was on guard. It was like an involuntary reaction whenever she was around. I wanted so badly to step in front of Bella to protect her from the monster that is her mother. No matter how much she seems to have changed, I will probably never trust the woman. She could solve world hunger, and I would still be doubtful of her sincerity. No matter how bad that sounds, it is true.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked her.

"I am clean." She said. She was wringing her hands in front of her, and the resemblance to Bella stuck me. It only reminded me of how horrible she was. She has her daughter who is a part of her, and has the same blood that runs through her veins, but yet, she still did the things she did. I wouldn't do the things Renee did to Bella to anyone, never mind my own children. The idea was unfathomable to me.

Maybe I was being unfair. I realize more than ever because of Bella that a person isn't 'bad' for no reason. There has to be something wrong with them in their head, or their past, or something. It was like Julia told me once; nature vs. nurture. There has to be something in Renee's blood or something in her past that caused her to be the ways she is. But is that enough reason for Bella or myself to forgive her?

I don't think so.

Maybe that makes me a hypocrite. If it does, so be it. Some things are just unforgivable. Neglecting, abusing, and degrading someone I love so deeply goes under the category of unforgivable in my eyes. Everyone is different. Maybe others would have enough compassion and understanding to be able to forgive her, but that person is not me.

Bella made some mistakes. Some mistakes other people may think of as unforgivable; I realize this. But they don't know the whole story, or know enough of what kind of person Bella is, or what she went through. I had a firsthand account on that. I knew Bella more than she knew herself, and it goes both ways. I grew up with her, and saw all of the horrid things that happened to her.

I guess there was no right or wrong answer in situations like these. I would just follow my instincts and my heart in this situation, and both were telling me to not trust her.

I hoped Bella felt the same.

"Okay, and what am I supposed to take from that?" Bella asked her.

"Bella, I have nowhere to go. I am clean, can you help me out?" She asked her in a seemingly sincere voice. I wasn't buying it, and apparently neither did Bella.

"No. I will not help you out." She said and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Please, Bella? I am all alone." I could sense the anger building inside of Renee. She was doing a good job of hiding it at the moment, but I knew it was coming. She didn't want to change. She didn't learn anything in jail except how to act.

"I'm sorry. I can't help you. I have my own family to support right now." Bella said. Her confidence in speaking to Renee was amazing. I don't know where she got it from, but I am glad she did.

"I am your family." Renee said. With each word that came out of her mouth, I could see more of the real Renee showing through. "I am your mother for Christ's sake." The whole 'nice' façade was gone. She knew she wasn't going to get anything from Bella, and she was pissed.

"You are hardly my mother. You didn't raise me." Bella seethed. I never heard her speak to Renee like that. There was so much anger and resentment lacing her voice. I was so proud of her. She never stuck up for herself against Renee until now. "I didn't learn anything from you. I raised myself along with Edward and the Cullens. You did nothing." Her arms were now tense at her sides. Her hands crunched in tight fists. I wanted to go to her to comfort her, but I knew I needed to let her do this on her own. She needed this closure.

"I did nothing?" Renee said in disbelief. The whole act was completely gone. Renee hadn't changed a bit, and I swear if she crosses the line…she is out of my house. "I gave you food and a roof under your head. You wouldn't even exist if it weren't for me. You wouldn't have your precious Edward or kids if it wasn't for me. I could have easily gotten rid of you in the beginning if I wanted to. It would have made my life a lot easier, but I didn't. I kept you. So why don't you grow some compassion and a heart and repay me for giving you life."

"Repay you for giving me life? Really?" Bella yelled rhetorically. I glanced over at Charlie, and he looked as nervous as I felt. Bella was getting upset. Her being upset usually lead to her wanting to drink. I won't let it happen. "You took my life away from me! You neglected me, beat me, and talked down on me so much and I was just a child! How could you do that to your own child? How could you do that to me, Renee?" She was really asking the question wanting an answer, and I could hear the emotion in her voice. She was pleading. "Please, just tell me what I did to deserve that? Just tell me so I can understand it better." She ran her hands through her hair, and I heard her sniffle. _It's okay, beautiful. _

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Renee shot back.

"You aren't going to explain because I didn't do anything!" Bella shouted.

"Yes you did!" Renee said in rebuttal.

"What was it then! Just tell me so I can understand!"

"You were born!" Renee yelled. "I was never supposed to have a child. I never wanted one. I should have gotten rid of you the second I found out you even existed. But no, I made another bad decision in my life. I tried to be nice at the beginning, but I couldn't stand the sight of you after a point! You are my biggest mistake!" She screamed.

Those were not words of a sane woman, for that I was sure. All three of us were shocked into silence at Renee's words. Each of her words stabbed and twisted through me at how hurtful they were towards Bella. I couldn't see Bella's face…a part of me didn't want to so I didn't see that look in her eyes. I looked over to Charlie, and he had silent tears running down his face.

"Okay." Bella said. Her voice was calmer than I expected it to be. I expected her voice to be filled with anger and hate towards the woman in front of her, but she didn't sound like that at all. It threw me off guard. "That is your problem then." Bella said.

"You don't have to tell me twice. I had to deal with that problem all my life. Do you realize how angry and unhappy I was?"

"You know what Renee? I don't really care how angry and unhappy you were." Bella said in strained voice. She was taking small steps closer to Renee, and I took small steps closer to Bella incase I would have to intervene. This little meeting was getting too heated for my liking. "I remember staying up all night, and whenever Edward wasn't with me, thinking about what I could do to make you happy. I was young and stupid back then to even want your acceptance. My God, I was pathetic! I would clean everything for you thinking it would make you happy. I made you cards and I tried to hug you when you cried. Whenever you were sick, I would give you whatever you wanted. I was reaching for something I needed so badly back then, and you just sat back and watched me struggle for your acceptance.

"But that is not going to happen now. I am done trying to make you happy, Renee. There is absolutely nothing I can do about being born. I can't control that. If the only thing to give you peace of mind would be me not existing anymore, I am sorry, but you are going to be unhappy your whole life." She took steps closer to Renee. She wasn't crying, her voice never wavered, she was amazing. "I am done throwing my life away with my family that I love for you. You brought me drinking when I was fourteen years old and it is because of that that I was an alcoholic. I spent way too many days away from my kids and my husband because of that, and I won't let it happen again. I will not let the influence of you rule my life anymore because you are a sick, twisted, and a horrible excuse for a human being and you can rot in hell for all I care." She yelled.

"You ungrateful bitch." Renee seethed and then I watched in horror as she slapped Bella in the face. Charlie and I reacted at the same time as we went to the both of them. I pulled Bella back and Charlie took Renee. Something ignited within Bella and she tried to get out of my grasp.

"Let me go!" Bella yelled. Her fingernails were digging into my arms as she tried to take them out from around her. "Let me hit her, Edward…please!"

"Don't let her get to you like this, love." I whispered in her ear. "Be the bigger person…don't stoop to her level." I was trying to sooth her with the tone of my voice and my words. She did an amazing thing with letting out all her anger towards Renee, because God knows she deserved it. She also deserved a hit, but that is what Renee does, and Bella doesn't have to turn to that. I had a feeling that her words had a bigger impact than a hit would.

"Come on you bitch…hit me." Renee yelled as Charlie had a hold on her. "You don't have it in you, because you are weak!"

"Shut up! Get out of my house! Leave! Get out of my fucking life!" Bella screamed. Her breathing was starting to pick up, and she was losing her composure. My arms remained securely around her. I wouldn't let her go.

"Get her out of here, Charlie!" I said, and Charlie was way ahead of me. He opened the door with one hand, and dragged her out with his other strong one. I watched as she disappeared behind the door, and once she was, I looked down at my wife who was breaking in my arms. I wouldn't let her. I would hold her together.

Her legs collapsed beneath her, and I went down with her. Once we were both sitting on the floor, she tried to get out of my arms but I would not let her go. She was crying and sobbing and in the middle of some kind of panic attack. "Edward…"

"What, love? What can I do?"

"Just let me go…you shouldn't have to see me like this." She tried to get up, but there was no way I would let her go and be alone and think drinking is the next option.

"No way in hell, Bella. I am not going to let you go. I'm here, and I always will be here. I am so proud of you, love. You did amazing."

She shook her head. "I hate her."

"I know you do. It isn't without cause. It's okay, she is gone now." She finally turned towards me and wrapped her arms around me as she cried into my chest. "That's it, love. Hold onto me. I got you."

My words only seemed to make her cry more, but I figured she just had to let it all out. "You were here the whole time…how couldn't I have seen it." She whimpered.

"That's in the past. What matters is now, okay?"

"Kay." She tightened her hold on me, and I reciprocated the action. "I love you so much." She cried into my chest.

I dropped my head and kissed the top of her head. "You know I love you just as much, love. Everything will be okay."

"I know." Charlie walked back into the house and he looked down at us with a look of pain, but also relief in his face. He walked up to us, and sat down beside us so Bella was facing him. Bella took one of her arms out from around me, and reached for Charlie. He took her hand in his and placed a kiss on it.

"I am proud of you, honey." He told her.

"Thank you, Dad. I think…" She took a deep breath. "I think I am proud of myself."

I smiled at her words. This was big for Bella. This was the first time she stuck up for herself against Renee. It would usually take Renee saying something about me or the kids to get that reaction out of her, but not this time. She was finally realizing how much worth she had and I was so proud of her for that. I was happy for her too, because she shouldn't feel any less than worthy.

She was everything.

* * *

I gave her a kiss on the forehead and gently pushed the hair out of her face. She was sleeping now. It was only nine, but the events of the day wore her out. After she talked to the kids on the phone and told them goodnight, she told me she wanted to go to bed. She said goodnight and goodbye to Charlie and he left with a smile at this new Bella. After we got up from that floor, she was a new Bella; a confident Bella, an unburdened Bella, but most importantly, a happy Bella.

I was actually pretty tired myself, but I was still in jeans and wasn't ready for bed at all. I got up from the bed and went to the bathroom. I took the stuff out of my pockets, including my phone. I checked to see if I had any missed calls, and I was surprised to see I had fifteen missed calls…all from Karen.

I began to worry. Why would she call me that much? Was something wrong? I instantly started beating myself up for not looking at my phone for so long. I dialed her number immediately, and she answered after the first ring.

"Edward!" She answered.

"Hey, Karen, I saw you called, is something wrong?"

"No! Absolutely not! Everything is so right!"

I relaxed a little…maybe that means they got a child if she was showing that much excitement. "Okay, well tell me then? What has you so chipper?"

"Oh I have a feeling this news will also make you chipper, pretty boy." She said with a laugh.

"It will make me chipper? Alright, well what is it then?"

"You better not tell anyone I told you, because I was sworn to secrecy, but I can't keep secrets to save my life, especially about something like this….Ah! I am so excited!" She squealed and I could picture her jumping up and down and the sound of Nancy laughing in the background solidified that.

"I won't tell on you, just tell me already!" I said with a laugh.

"Well Boss, prepare for a phone call tomorrow from the one and only Thomas Mitchell as he gives you an offer you just can't refuse."

_Oh. My God. _"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" I asked her. I didn't want to get my hopes up if I misunderstood.

"He wants you back at the agency! By tomorrow you will have your job back if that is what you want!"

The smile on my face was hurting my cheeks and if Bella wasn't sleeping, I would be tempted to start fucking jumping. "Of course I want it!"

Karen squealed. "Ahh! I am so happy, Boss! He says I can be your secretary again!"

"How did you make this happen?" I am sure Mitchell just didn't want to hire me back randomly. After my talk with Karen a couple of weeks ago, she must have noticed how hard I was taking being without a job and did something about it. That was just the person she was.

"Me? I had nothing to do with it!"

_Oh. _"Well then where did this come from? He just up and decided to hire me again?"

"No, no, no, pretty boy. I didn't have anything to do with it, but someone else is guilty of that."

Well that doesn't make any sense…I wasn't that close to anyone else there. "Well who was it?"

She laughed. "You really have no idea do you?"

"No not at all." I was stumped.

"It was Bella."

* * *

**Hey everyone! So what do you think of the chapter? Were you satisfied with what happened with Renee? I was nervous about it, because many of you wanted her fate to be death (lol) and I swear I considered it, but then decided against it. I feel this way was better for Bella. Plus, in real life, not all our enemies just die off. Sometimes we have to deal with that person head on, and that is what Bella did. **

**I hope you all understand! **

**And what about the whole job thing? I know I didn't give details but it is for a reason! It will be revealed next chapter! **

**Next chapter will be the last! (not including the epilogue) **

**I will update again as soon as I can! **

**Review please :]**


	41. Chapter 40: Good Day

**Chapter 40: Good Day  
January 24, 2011**

**EPOV**

~_Flashback~_

_**5 Years Old**_

"_Edward! You have to slow down!" Elizabeth called out to her son. One hand was holding the hand of her husband, and the other was holding the little hand of Bella. Edward was too excited to walk with the rest of them and was too eager to explore. _

"_You have to walk faster, Mom!" Edward called back to his Mom as he took his baseball cap off and put it on backwards instead. _

_Elizabeth laughed. "That boy has no patience." _

"_He takes after you, love." Ed said to his wife with an adoring look her way and Elizabeth elbowed him playfully. Bella looked up at the couple in wonder. She never saw a relationship like theirs in her short life, and it made her curious. Ed looked over at the small girl. "Sorry if this is boring to you, Bella." _

"_Oh no, Edward's Daddy, I am having lots of fun! I have never been here before!" Bella said with a smile. She looked around to the trees around her as they were taking a walk in the forest for a nature walk. It was early in the morning, only a little after seven, but they like going early in the morning. Edward especially loved the nature walks. He liked picking up as much pinecones as he could find and see all the creatures they find along the way. _

"_You can call me Ed, sweetheart."Ed told Bella._

"_Oh I'm sorry. I will call you Ed now." Bella said. This was her first official outing with Edward and his parents._

"_No need to say sorry, you didn't know, but you know now." Bella blushed and smiled up at Ed. _

"_Bella! Come on! Don't walk with the slow pokes!" Edward called and waved a stick he was holding in the air. _

_Bella looked up at the woman who was holding her hand. "May I please go?" She asked her. _

"_Of course, sweet girl. Maybe you can keep him in line." Elizabeth answered. _

"_Thank you." Bella said and let go of Elizabeth's hand. She ran after Edward. Her hair was blowing in her face as she ran, and she had to swat it away as she approached a smiling Edward. _

"_You have long hair, Bella." He commented. _

"_Yeah, I know. My Mommy keeps forgetting to bring me to cut it." She said. _

"_Here." Edward said and took the cap off of his head. "Pull your hair back." He said, and she did as he said, and pushed the hair out of her face. Edward placed the cap on her head and it kept her hair out of her face. _

"_Thanks, Edward!" _

"_No problem! Come on, I haven't found any cool things yet!" He grabbed Bella's hand, and both of them went running. _

"_Edward! Honey, please don't run too far!" Elizabeth called once again. _

"_Okay, Mom!" He called back. _

_Ed chuckled. "You are going to go prematurely grey, Lizzie."_

"_Ugh, I know, but I hate that feeling I get when I can't see him." She said with a shudder. _

"_I know what you mean, but our boy is growing up." _

"_He's five! He is still my baby!" _

_Ed laughed and pulled his wife to his side. "I know, love, he is five now, but he isn't getting any younger. Before you know it, he will be graduating, getting married, having kids…" _

"_Ed, I will slap you. Don't talk about stuff like that…he is only five!" _

_Ed kissed the top of Elizabeth's head with a smirk. "Yes, and he will always be your baby."_

"_Yeah, until some woman comes and takes him away from us. She better treat him like a king or she will not be getting any good looks from me." _

_Ed chuckled. "Will it make you feel any better if I think you already know her?" _

_She looked up at Ed quizzically. "What do you mean?" _

"_Just look straight ahead." He said gesturing to the two laughing children ahead of them. Their hands were swinging between them as they spoke and laughed about random things. _

_Elizabeth smiled. "You think so?" _

"_I have a good feeling about it. Don't you see what I see?" _

"_I see they are close, but it is too early to tell." _

"_Eh…I think otherwise. I'm always right so, you should just listen to me." _

_Elizabeth snorted. "Right…Mr. Know It All." _

"_Mom and Dad, come here, come listen!" Edward called as him and Bella were looking up in the tree at something the adults couldn't figure out until they got closer and could hear what they must have been listening to. It was a bird singing a song. It wasn't a set song…there were random different tones and notes put in there, but it was otherwise an appealing sound. _

_Once Ed approached the two children, he gently pulled them back a little bit. "What is it Dad?" Edward asked. _

"_It sounds nice." Bella commented. _

"_That right there is a Mockingbird." Ed said. Ed really was a very smart man, and knew a lot about the world and nature. _

"_A Mockingbird? Why does he sound funny?" Edward asked. Right as he said it, the bird switched to making a sound of a car alarm, and Ed cracked a smile. _

"_A Mockingbird imitates the sounds he hears around him. Then a male Mockingbird will sing his song to get himself a nice girlfriend." Elizabeth smiled at her husband for the way he explained it in a way Edward would understand. _

_Edward scrunched up his nose. "That's weird." _

"_If Edward was a Mockingbird, he would have no girlfriend. He sings bad." Bella said and Elizabeth and Ed laughed. _

"_Hey!" Edward said; appalled at her words. Bella cracked a smile and rubbed Edward's back. _

"_I was just kidding, Edward. Don't be mad." _

_Edward sighed. "You're right though…I will never get a girlfriend." _

_Ed laughed. "Edward, you aren't a Mockingbird!" _

"_Oh yeah…" He said and caused the rest of them to laugh once again. As they were laughing, Ed noticed that the small bird stopped singing. He pulled the children and his wife back again. "What are you doing, Dad?" Edward asked. _

"_Well son, I see that Mockingbird has a nest up there, and it's better that we stay away." _

"_Why?" Edward asked. He was always eager to find out more. Elizabeth and Bella both paid attention as well. _

"_Mockingbirds are fierce protectors of their nest, and even their mates. If they think of anything as threatening to them, or their family, they will attack. No matter the threat, the Mockingbird will always fight to ensure their family's safety." He explained. "They will attack other birds, vultures, hawks, cats, dogs, and even humans if they feel they are a danger to their family." _

"_That is really nice." Bella said. _

"_Yeah, but a human will always win in a fight with a small bird. So it stinks they have to lose." Edward said. _

_Ed sat down on a log that was nearby so he could speak directly to the children and Elizabeth kept hold on his hand and watched on with a warmth in her heart at her husband interacting with the children. "Oh no, son. That isn't always true. You should never underestimate the power of love or protection." _

"_What do you mean?" Edward asked curiously. _

"_Well, take your Mom and I for example. We both love you," He turned to Bella. "And even you, Bella." A huge smile spread across Bella's face and Ed swept his finger along her cheek. "We love you both, so we would do everything in our power to make sure the both of you were happy and safe. No matter what it was." _

"_No matter what?" Edward asked. _

_Ed nodded. "No matter what." He promised. _

"_So if a dinosaur wanted to take me away?" Edward asked in complete seriousness. Elizabeth smiled at her curious and smart son. _

"_I would fight him off with a baseball bat. No one touches my boy." Ed told him with a smile and Bella giggled._

"_What if an alien came down from space and took me to space?" Edward asked. _

"_I would build a space ship and go get you right away." _

"_Wow that's cool. Can we go make one when we get home?" Edward asked. _

_Ed laughed and ruffled the hair on Edward's head. "Not today, buddy." _

"_You would really do all of that?" Bella asked in a small voice. She was thinking how nice that was of Edward's father. Her mother didn't even want to bring her to get a haircut, and Ed was ready to fight off dinosaurs with bats and build space ships for a rescue mission. _

"_Absolutely, sweetie. I love you both, so I will do anything to make you happy or make sure you are safe. That is just what a person does when they love someone." _

"_So I would have to fight with dinosaurs for you, Mom, and Bella?" Edward asked his father. _

"_Well yes, if you love us and want us to be happy." _

"_Yeah, I want that." Edward said. Elizabeth wiped a tear from her eye and inwardly made fun of herself for being such a sap when it came to Edward. _

"_Good. Always remember that, you two. Always protect those you love. No matter what it is, or how hard things may be, you stop at nothing to make sure your loved ones live full and happy lives. Okay?" He asked them. _

"_Okay, Dad." Edward said and reached over to take Bella's hand. Ed smiled at the gesture and gave a pointed look at his wife. She just rolled her wet eyes at him. _

"_I promise I will." Bella said to Ed. She looked over at Edward. "I'll fight aliens and big bad monsters for you, Edward." _

_Edward laughed. "Me too, Bella. Me too." _

_~End Flashback~_

I took a deep breath and imagined my parents were both beside me in the small space of the car. I wanted to just talk to them once. I knew they could see how well I was doing, and I knew they would be proud of me, and I just wanted to hear it. It wasn't because I liked having my ego stroked…no…it was I just wanted to hear their voices. Both of them soothed me so well, and I needed some soothing.

I was nervous.

God only knows why. I was sitting in my car outside of the building of the agency. It was like my first day all over again…but it wasn't at all. I have done this before. I was fucking good at this job before, so why was I so nervous? Was it that I was nervous of failing? Or maybe it was because I was already missing Bella and the kids. I have been spoiled with a lot of time with them lately.

Maybe I was delusional. Maybe I was just mistaking excitement for nerves because I was a paranoid mother fucker. Who knows. I decided to just forget it. I wanted this job, I longed to have this job back, and because of my beautiful and amazing wife…I had it. She did something to make me happy, and I would soak in the happiness I knew I would get when I walked through those doors.

I put my hand on the handle of the door and stepped out. I smoothed the suit jacket down, and fixed my red tie using my reflection of the car. I never really enjoyed wearing ties that much, but today it wasn't so bad.

I was back.

I went to the passenger's side door, and took out the box with all my stuff in it. It was just sitting in the spare room back home and it still held all the stuff I took from my office when I left. The only thing added was an updated picture of the kids and a family picture along with two pictures that the kids colored for me for my desk. I couldn't screw up this time. I wouldn't.

I walked to the door, and balanced the box in one arm so I could open the door with the other. Once inside, I saw someone new at the front desk. He was a younger guy with big glasses and slicked back blonde hair.

"Good morning, sir. How may I help you?"

I cleared my throat. "I'm Edward Cullen. I start today; I am supposed to go see Mr. Mitchell."

I watched as his mouth hung open and recognition took over his face. It confused me because I hadn't seen him once in my life. "You're _the _Edward Cullen? The one with the pretty wife?"

I smiled. Bella really made an impact. "Well my name is Edward Cullen, and I have a beautiful wife, so I guess I am."

"I wasn't there when she came in, but I heard all about it. All the women were crying."

I smiled. I of course heard what Bella did to get me back in here and I was still amazed. After Karen called, I woke her up and kissed her like crazy and then asked her how she did it. She was embarrassed to tell me because she was to humble, but when she did, I was in shock. I got emotional. She really would do anything for me. She kept her promise she made to my Dad.

"I am very grateful to her." I told him. I really just wanted him to let me go on up to see Mitchell, but this was my new co-worker. I had to be friendly.

"Well that is very good. I heard a lot about you too. Everyone is happy to have you back."

"I am happy to be back. And what is your name?"

"Justin Abbott, sir. Welcome back. Mr. Mitchell told me to send you right up. He said you will know where his office is." He put his hand out and I shook it.

"Thank you, Justin. I believe I do remember."

"Have a good day, Mr. Cullen." He called to me as I walked to the elevator.

"You too!" I called and got into the elevator when it dinged open. Once I made it up to Mitchell's floor, and the doors opened, I sighed in contentment. I really missed this place. Once I was through the doors, all eyes were on me and it was silent. There were people in the halls, all in a bustle this early in the morning. Deadlines; I can't believe I missed them.

Everyone was staring at me, and I didn't know all of them. I gave them polite nods and smiles as I walked by though, because I was back in my element. I went up to Lucy's desk, and she looked up as she saw me approach. A smile spread on her face, and mine was already in place.

"Hey, Edward! It's so good to see you! You can go right in!"

"Thank you, Lucy. I hope you have been doing okay."

"Oh yes, I am doing fine, Edward. Thank you. I am glad to hear you are better as well."

"I am…I am doing very well, thank you." She smiled, and I walked over to Mitchell's office. I was going to maneuver the box once again to knock on the door, but he beat me too it and opened the door for me. I was even happy to see him again. He looked older than the last time I saw him, I wondered when he was actually planning on retiring. When I left, I thought it would have been in a couple of months, but I guess I was wrong.

"Edward. Welcome back." He said.

"Thank you, sir."

"Come on in. I won't keep you long so you can settle in at your office." He moved out of the way so I could pass him, and he shut the door behind us. I set the box down at my feet as I sat down on the seat across from his desk. He sat back down, and crossed his hands in front of him. "How are you doing, Edward?"

"I am great. I am glad to be back."

"Happy to have you back. The company needs you back. We aren't doing that well. We lost three of our guys, and I needed to hire. I feel embarrassed to say now that I didn't even think of calling you."

I nodded my head. "I guess I understand."

"Yeah, I thought you we unreliable. I was wrong obviously. And your wife is the reason I called you. You know that don't you? She told you what she did, right?" He asked.

"She told me, but the watered down version. She is very humble."

"Amazing woman you have there, Edward. Let me tell you what happened." I nodded my head. I really wanted to know the whole story, and from someone else's perspective. "We were having a company meeting to find out what we were going to do about new hires, and sales have gone down. It was a private meeting, but then in comes your wife. I am going to be honest, I was pissed off she interrupted my meeting, but she apologized profusely, and said she will only be a couple of minutes." He paused. "I see that big grin you are wearing, and you should."

I let out a small laugh. "Sorry, it is just really big for her to do something like this. She hates attention on her."

"Yeah I could see the nerves, but the emotion just kind of overpowered it. She stood in front of everyone and gave this amazing speech. Did she tell you what she said?" He asked me.

"She said she asked for my job back and told you why I deserved it."

"Oh yes, she did. She came in, and pretty much told me and everyone else in the room for that matter, that she knew we were having trouble with business, and that taking you back would be the best decision because you were reliable and show a great passion for this line of work." I nodded my head because it was true. I did love the job when I had it. "I knew about your passion, but I was under the impression that you became unreliable. So then she went to explain your relationship. She told us you both knew each other since you were five years old?"

I smiled. "That's right, we have."

"Wow. You see, I didn't know about that. I also didn't know that your wife was an alcoholic. That was right in between the time that your daughter had surgery, and when I fired you. I can tell you right now, Edward, I look back on that decision with great regret."

"You had to do what was best for you, your family, and the company. I understand."

He nodded. "Your wife told us of what you did for your family when she was otherwise unable to provide. This is when she got emotional, and had all other woman in the room in tears. She talked about how you supported her, and how you left her for her own good and the good of the children. I am sure I don't need to repeat to you your life in the past year or so, but I have to tell you I was impressed."

"I was just doing what needed to be done, sir. My family is the world to me." I told him honestly. Everyone was telling me how great I was to stick by my wife and my family, but isn't that what is supposed to be done? I mean I love them with everything within me, how could I have done anything less?

"After Bella spoke to us, I understand this. After she explained your situation, and all you have done, she told us that you also lost the job you had," He let out a staggered breath. "And how you were struggling for money. And then she said straight to me, I don't think I will forget it, she said and I quote, 'He gave me my life back, so will you please help me give him his back as well. The part I took away from him."

I rubbed the back of my neck. I was overwhelmed. Whenever I think of her getting in front of everyone, and telling her story…our story…just for me, makes me overwhelmed. Bella hates giving speeches or any kind of attention, and she overcame all of that just to make me happy, and get me my job back. I would have to make it clear to her though that she didn't take anything away from me. We had to get through it together, and I had to make some sacrifices. I didn't blame her.

"She didn't tell me that part."

He nodded. "Her coming in, and telling me all of that, made me realize what a mistake I made. But in my defense, I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged. "I didn't feel it was appropriate to use excuses. I should have been able to balance both."

He nodded in understanding. "I can see that, but I would have understood. But that is in the past now, and you are here. I am really looking forward to having you back, and I can't wait to see what you are going to do."

"Thank you, sir. I really am happy to be back."

"I know, I can tell. And your wife is an amazing woman. Don't let that one go." He started rising, so I did as well.

"Wouldn't even dream of it." I extended my hand out to him and shook it. "Thank you, again."

"No problem. I am just glad I can help. I feel I may get more out of it than you do. I can already see our sales rising just by you sitting in this office."

I let out a small laugh. "No pressure or anything." I said sarcastically.

He chuckled. "You will do fine. Now you may go and get settled. I am sure you remember where your office is, am I correct?"

I was surprised he was letting me keep my office. I wasn't complaining though. It was a nice office. "I do recall."

"Well enjoy your first day back. I will send you up some work to get to in a little bit."

It was good to hear that. "Thank you."

* * *

Once I made it to the floor of my office, I noticed a noise coming from behind a desk. I smiled wide knowing what…well who…was making that noise. I walked right up to her desk and put my box on top of it. She looked up to me; she had her headphones in and pulled them out.

"Um…excuse me miss. This is my first day and I was wondering if you could point me to my office. I am so nervous." I looked at the floor and shuffled my feet for extra effect. I looked up at her, and she had a smirk on her face.

"Drop down and give me twenty."

I quirked my eyebrow and laughed. "What the hell? No."

"Oh listen to this new kid thinking he has chops. You won't be so tough when I give you a titty twister now will you."

I crossed my arms protecting the threatened area and cringed. "What a horrible welcome back. Bitch."

She laughed loudly and hopped up from her seat. She ran to the other side of the desk and ran at me with arms out. I flinched back and she slapped me anyway. "I am not going to touch your titties you weirdo, I just want a hug from you! I missed your pretty face around here!"

I still didn't fully trust her, but I opened my arms for her and she gave me a tight hug. She got a little too excited however when she started jumping and I had to jump as well. I felt like a five year old girl, and I wasn't liking it. I stopped her jumping and pulled away.

"No more horsing around. Get to work." I said only half seriously.

"Yes, Boss." She said with a smile and got behind her desk. Karen is fucking awesome. "Remind me to call and thank Bella later."

I smiled. "I don't think she could be thanked enough, so I will remind you."

She nodded her head, and I went into my office. It was a little different then the last time I was in there since they made changes to the building, but I could get used to the now deep red walls. The desk was still the same and so was the chair so I was glad. I put the box down on the desk and pulled out the picture of the kids and the one of all four of us. I set them down on the desk. I sat down on the chair and relaxed back into it. I looked around the office and then back at the pictures.

It was good to be back.

* * *

When I pulled up the driveway of my home, it was around 5:30. I had an amazing first day back, but I was anxious to get back home. It has been the longest I have gone without seeing Bella or the kids in a while, and I knew it would take some getting used to. Well I would never really get used to it, but at least I could learn how to deal with it better.

As soon as I walked in the door, I heard the sounds of little footsteps and then the face of a beautiful girl running at me. A smile spread on my face and I squatted down so I could give her a good hug.

"Daddy you're here!" She yelled and threw her arms around my neck. I hugged her little body close to me and squeezed her. "Ah! Can't breathe, Daddy!" She said in a strained voice.

I laughed and loosened my grip. I kissed her little face. "I missed you, baby."

"I missed you too, Daddy! Did you have fun at work?"

"Yeah I did, actually."

She gave me a weird look. "You're crazy." She said as she played with my tie.

I laughed. "Why am I crazy?"

"Cause work is bo-ring." She sang.

I smiled and kissed her cheek. "Being home is much better. Plus at work I have to wear these ties." I said and started to loosen the tie around my neck.

"Can I wear it?" She asked pointing to my tie.

I smiled. "If you want to." She nodded her head. I lifted it above my head without completely untying it so I didn't have to do it again. I put it over her head and tightened it just a little so it wouldn't choke her. It was only about an inch from the ground because she was so little.

"How do I look?" She asked and twirled around.

I chuckled. "Very cute, Peyton." She kissed my cheek and ran into the kitchen.

"Mommy, look! Daddy let me wear his tie!" I followed her into the kitchen and unbuttoned the first couple buttons on my shirt. Bella was at the island cutting the ends off some string beans. I could smell something cooking, but I couldn't tell exactly what it was. She was facing to her right smiling down at Peyton as she showed off my tie around her neck. I had a feeling this would be a new thing and I wouldn't get past the foyer with my tie on anymore.

I sat across from Bella on the stool at the island and crossed my arms in front of me. I watched as she was talking to Peyton and she gave me a side look. I was just smiling like a fool. If leaving Bella and having Bella away from me for all that time taught me anything, it was definitely to appreciate her more when she was here.

"Oh no!" Peyton all of a sudden yelled. I couldn't see her because she was on the other side of the island, but I could hear the slap to her head. "I forgot to pause my movie! Ah!" Then I saw her as she ran out the room with my tie held up in her hands. I chuckled and leaned forward over the island.

Bella didn't hesitate as she leaned forward as well and gave me some slow, sweet kisses. She ended it with a quick peck and continued cutting. "How was your day?" She asked me.

I sat back down on the stool. "Amazing. It felt really good to be back."

She smiled. "Well that's good, I'm glad."

"It was all because of you, love." I reminded her.

She shook her head. "It was the least I could do, Edward."

"I know I have told you, but I don't think there was anything better you could have done."

"Well, I knew how much you loved it there, and you are lost without a job, so I knew it was worth a try." She explained. "I went there a week before they called; I thought he wasn't going to give it you."

"Well he did." I said with a smile. She smiled back at me, and went to go rinse off the string beans. "Hey Bella?" I said.

"Yeah, baby?" She asked from the sink.

"Can I just ask you something?"

The seriousness in my voice got her attention and she turned to face me completely. "Of course you can."

"You know I don't blame you right?" Mitchell's words from earlier about her doing this as some sort of penance or something got me a little nervous. I was sure I made it clear to her, but if not, I would make it clear to her right now.

She sighed. "Yes, I know you don't and I know you don't want me to blame myself."

"That is true, you shouldn't."

"But I do. And I get that you don't want me too and that is why I am trying to overcome that."

"So that is why you went to try and get my job back?" I asked her.

"No." She answered right after the words came out of my mouth. "Was it a part of it? Yes. But not the whole reason."

"Well what is the whole reason?" We had talked about this, but never to this extent because Bella never told me the whole story, and I only just found out today when I spoke with Mitchell and other people who work there and were in the room.

She smirked at me, and walked around the island to get to me. I turned in the stool so I was facing her. She stood between my legs and put her arms around my neck. She scratched her fingernails along the back of my head and I sighed in contentment as my eyes fluttered closed. "What a stupid question, Mr. Cullen." She said softly and kissed my forehead. "To make you happy, of course."

I smiled and leaned forward with my lips puckered for her. I felt her lips briefly kiss mine, and she started to pull away, but I grabbed her by the waist back to me. "Don't go."

She chuckled. "I have to cook dinner to feed you and our kids, so I think I have to."

"But I missed you." I whined and she laughed.

She pulled me to her so my head was against her chest and her arms around my neck. She dropped her head and kissed the top of my head. "I missed you too, but I really have to get the pasta going."

I groaned. "Oh fine." She grabbed my face and kissed me once again before heading back to her cooking.

"Where is Liam?" I asked.

"Oh he is over at a friend's house. He should be back soon." I nodded. I was glad he was starting to hang out with other kids. He was ridiculously shy around other people, and I hoped that wouldn't hinder him from making friends.

"Good." I missed him too, of course, and I wanted to see him. "So what did you do all day, love?"

"Well I had Destiny until noon, so she kept me occupied for a while. Then I cleaned, did laundry, and then picked up the kids. Then I dropped Liam off at his friend's house and brought Peyton to pick up a new tutu. She wants red this time." She said with a small laugh. "And now I am cooking and talking to you."

"Sounds like a pretty good day."

"Yeah, I think it was."

"Mommy!" Peyton called.

"Yes, honey?" Bella called back.

"My ponytail fell out!"

Bella chuckled. "Okay one second, baby." She wiped her hands on a cloth and as she started the fire under the pan of water for the noodles, the front door opened, and slammed. Bella and I both gave each other curious looks.

"Liam!" We heard Peyton scream in excitement and her little feet running.

"Leave me alone." I heard Liam grumble and then I heard his feet stomping up the steps. I looked over at Bella, and she gave me a worried look.

Peyton came running into the room. "I think Liam is sad." She said with her finger pointing toward the stairs.

"I will go talk to him." I said.

"I wonder what's wrong?" Bella said worriedly. "He was fine when I dropped him off…" She was freaking out.

"Hey, I am sure he is fine, I will go talk to him alright?"

She nodded her head and picked Peyton up. She placed her on the island and took the elastic from her. I went up the steps and to Liam's room. The door was shut, so I knocked. "Go away!" He yelled.

I sighed. "Come on, buddy. Let me come in."

He didn't answer me for a minute and then I heard movement coming from within the room. He opened the door, and just walked right back in without looking at me. At least he opened it. I walked in after him and closed the door. He went to sit on the desk in his room and was rolling around the baseball that was on top of it. His room was a little messy, but I figured now really wasn't the time to bug him about that. I pulled up one of the chairs to sit beside him.

"What's going on, son?" I asked him and put my hand on his back.

He took a deep breath. "I just had a bad day."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Do I have to?"

"Well no, not if you don't want to." I told him. "But I am here if you want to. Sometimes talking about it helps…maybe I could help."

He thought about it for a second before he faced me. "I tripped in school today and everyone laughed at me. It was fish sticks for lunch today, and I hate fish sticks. Then the teacher didn't let us have recess because the class was loud. Then when I went to Jerry's house with the other boys, they all told me they didn't want me to play baseball with them anymore because I cheated. I didn't cheat, Dad!" He yelled in frustration and leaned his head on his hands.

I rubbed my hand on his back. Poor kid did have a bad day. "Well, okay, let's see." I wanted to think of a way to make it a little better for him. "First off, if you trip or something like that happens, you should just laugh along with them. It works, trust me." He nodded his head. "Fish sticks are disgusting, but your Mom is making some chicken tonight." I said reassuringly too him. He really liked chicken. He shrugged.

"That's better than nasty fish sticks."

"Now what I am more concerned about are your friends. Why won't they play baseball with you?"

"Because I kept on hitting the ball and catching it, and they were saying I was cheating."

"Ahhh…" I said in understanding. Those kids better be jealous of my kid. Maybe that wasn't that nice to think, but they were being rude to him. He doesn't deserve to be excluded because he was good at what he did. "They are just jealous, bud."

He looked at me with a confused expression on his face. Wow, I really saw my father in him at that moment. Bella was right about the resemblance and I found myself noticing it more and more since then. "Jealous?"

"Yeah, they are just a little intimidated because you play better than them."

"So should I play bad so they will like me?"

"Oh no, absolutely not. Play like you usually do, but if you see them getting discouraged or whatever, just give them some pointers and help them out a little. You don't want to be cocky about it. That will make kids really not like you."

He nodded his head, listening intently. "I can try that."

"Good." I patted his back. "Feeling better?"

He shrugged. "Not really. It was still a pretty bad day. And now Peyton is probably mad at me."

"No, she won't be mad. You know she looks up to you a lot. She will forgive you."

"I guess." He started spinning the ball on the table while he held his head up with his hand.

I knew all about bad days. I had too many to count. From days when I would come home to Bella drunk to days when Bella wasn't there at all, I have had bad days. I have dealt with a lot of bad days, so I would help Liam get through this one. Unfortunately, he would have many, many more, but I would make sure he could learn to deal with it and learn from it.

"You know, when you are having a bad day, you should try and think of something else. Think about the best day of your life."

"The best day of my life?" He asked like it was an impossible question.

"Yeah."

"I don't know, I can't think of one…there are too many!" That was a good thing to hear from him. "What is yours?" He asked me.

"Oh that's easy. I have two that are perfectly tied."

"What day?"

"The day you and Peyton were born of course!" Peyton may have gotten sick when she was born, but that didn't stop it from being one of the best days of my life. Both of them are literally the center of my universe.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yes, really. Now what about you? Come on, you can think of one."

"I think it was the day Mom came back home." I pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. That was definitely up there in my list as well. "Or maybe that day me, you, and Peyton went to zoo…remember?"

I started laughing. I knew exactly what he was talking about. "You mean the day the horse licked your sister's hand?"

He started laughing. He was probably picturing her face after the horse licked her hand. "Yes, and she made a face like this." He then demonstrated the face which was very similar and got me laughing even harder. She was only two at the time, but she was absolutely disgusted with the whole thing. She made that face, and then started crying and yelling at the horse. Her little finger was pointing at him and yelling at him so fast I couldn't understand a word she said. I didn't want to laugh because she was crying and upset, but it was just too funny.

"Yeah, that was a good day."

"Yeah because then we went for a walk in the park and got ice cream and then went to the movies." He said.

"Yes we did. We will have to do that again sometime, but this time with your Mom."

He nodded. "We have to get Peyton to feed the horses again!"

I laughed and before I could say anything, there was a knock at the door. We both looked over, and Bella poked her head in. "Can we come in?" She asked. I could still see some worry in her face, but she looked a little better since the both of us were laughing so hard.

"Yeah." Liam said trying to regain his composure.

Bella walked in holding Peyton's hand. Peyton let go of Bella's hand and skipped over to me. She was still wearing my tie, and her hair was in a little bun at the top of her head. I scooped her up in my arms and scattered butterfly kisses all over her face causing her to giggle.

Bella sat in Liam's chair and had him sit in her lap. "You okay, sweetie?" She asked him and ran her hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Mom." He said. Bella kissed his cheek and held him close. I smiled at them and tickled the belly of the little girl in my arms just to hear her giggle again. "We were talking about the best days we ever had." He told Bella. "What was yours?"

"That's easy. The day my babies were born." She answered.

"Dad already said that!" He said in exasperation.

She chuckled. "Sorry, baby, but it was!"

"What's another one?" He asked her.

"That's an easy one too. The day I met your Dad." She was looking at me when she said it, and I smiled at her over Peyton's shoulder. She was standing on my lap making a mohawk out of my hair.

"Weren't you small?" Liam asked.

"Yes I was, but it was still the best day ever. Your Dad is a special person, you know." I just wanted to kiss her like crazy when she said stuff like that.

"Yeah I know." He said and smiled at me.

"Well thank you. I happen to think all of you as pretty special." I told them.

"Daddy? Are you going to get a haircut soon?" Peyton asked me randomly. She was obviously paying absolutely no attention to what we were talking about and was paying more attention on my hair.

Bella and Liam started laughing. "Uh…I don't know, honey. Do you think I need one?"

"How do I know? I am just three!" I laughed and pulled her to me and started tickling her. Once I was finished, she sat back in my lap and faced Bella and Liam.

"So Peyton, what is the best day of your life?" Liam asked her.

She put her finger to her chin and scrunched up her face in thought. She looked so much like Bella. "My dance recital with the big girls." She answered. I looked over at Bella; that was the one she missed because I left her and wouldn't allow her to go. I could see a little sadness in her eyes, but also acceptance. She knew she may not have been there, but she still had the chance, because she got sober, to go to all of her other recitals.

"You sure it wasn't the day the horse licked your hand?" Liam asked. I was still looking at Bella, and she again looked a little hurt, because that was another day she missed out on.

"No! That was the worst day ever!" Peyton yelled. I gave Bella a reassuring look to let her know it was okay. I knew there would be more moments like this where she regretted not being there, but she at least was realizing that she still had so much time to make up for it. Things may get hard at times, but it will eventually pass, and things do get better.

She mouthed to me that she loved me, and I returned the sentiment. She then turned to Peyton. "What happened that day, honey?"

"Oh Mommy it was the worstest! The horse licked me! He licked my hand!" She then started getting into an animated story about the catastrophic day that the horse licked her hand. She told the story better than I could. Bella and Liam were both laughing uncontrollably at her, and that only got her more fired up. I was of course paying attention to her story, but not as much as I was paying attention to all of them.

We were all here. I had my job back, I had my wife back, and we were all sitting together in this room talking and laughing and enjoying our time together. Things were kind of back to normal. I say kind of, because a lot actually did change.

Through all this, we shed ourselves of bad people, and acquainted ourselves with amazing people we love. Bella had her father and even more family that are going to support her through life. My kids had their mother back, and a whole other family that will be there to love them. They were all so completely happy now.

And me…well I couldn't be anything but happy.

How couldn't I? There were definitely times when I thought I wouldn't get to this point…that _we _wouldn't get to this point. There were some serious dark days for all of us. There were days where the happiness of our family was hanging by a thread over a cliff. Those days were scary.

I made sacrifices. Leaving Bella was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. Everyone always told me, it would be worth it in the end. I can say I didn't fully believe them until now. How could something that hurt so bad turn out good in the end? The idea was unfathomable to me, but I did it. I don't regret it. I did what I had to do to keep my family intact. It was the hardest thing I have had to do, but it was also the most rewarding because I think it was worth it.

Because now I can see what everyone was saying.

Right now, at this moment, I just watched and observed. My daughter was as lively and sweet as she has been. She was absolutely perfect despite what she had to go through both with her health, and being without a Mom for a while. My son was strong, smart, and simply amazing at all he does. He may have grown up a little faster than other kids his age, but he was going to grow into a fine man, I just know it. And then there is my beautiful wife. She has been through a lot of troubles throughout her life. She was abused and suffered alcoholism. She struggled and fought hard. I had to be there to hold her up at some points, but she otherwise did it on her own. And now look at her. _My _Bella was back, and she was happy.

They are happy. I am happy.

Yeah…it was worth it.

* * *

**Wow…that's the end everyone. **

**It is hard to have to end this story, but you know it has to end somewhere! I just want to thank each and every one of you who have read this story. Things have been hard for me in real life, and writing is the one thing that gets my mind off things and keeps me happy for while. And then when I see all the people who read my story and even some review, it just means that much more to me. So thank you so much! I can't say it enough! **

**Thanks to my FFBFF Alexa! She is in Mexico right now, but she helped me immensely in so many ways between real life and my writing life. I love and miss you, Alexa! Thank you so much for all you have done! **

**NEWS ON THE EPILOGUE! **

**I was having trouble deciding which POV I wanted to write the epi in, so I decided to leave it to a vote! **

**There is a poll in my profile, and it has the choices. The choices are Edward, Bella, Peyton, Liam, or an Edward/Bella mix. (Note that the epilogue will be in the way future, so Peyton and Liam will be older. You won't get a three year old's POV lol) Please vote! I will close it tomorrow when I start the epi so vote as soon as you can! **

**Review please, and thank you all so much again. **

**~Monica**


	42. Epilogue

**Epilogue  
October 15, 2027 (16 Years later)**

**BPOV**

"I hate her." She said with so much hate and anger in her voice. Tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks. I got up from my seat and walked to the other side of my desk. I sat beside her and held onto her hand as she cried. She wasn't really one for too much physical contact, so this was all I could offer her for now without setting her off. Her hand held onto mine impossibly tight, and I just sucked in the pain it created. I knew mine was miniscule compared to hers.

"Has she hit you, Sabrina?" I asked her softly.

She shook her head. "No…but she is just so upset all the time. She isn't the same. She doesn't even like t-talking to me anymore. I don't know what to do."

"I will give her a call, okay?"

Her head whipped up to look at me with fear in her eyes. I was used to the reaction, but their reaction after things got better for them was so good to look at. "No! She will kill me!"

Sabrina's mother wasn't a bad person. I got many different cases like hers. In Sabrina's case, her father left the family, and left her mother to raise five kids ranging from ages 2-14; Sabrina being the oldest.

"Okay well maybe I will hold it off, but if things don't get better, you let me know. I can really help." I assured her. I have been doing this for twelve years and I knew what I was doing. I have dealt with many different children with different situations. They ranged from foster kids, to kids with addicted parents, to kids that were just confused with their life and think everyone is out to get them. My ability to sympathize and understand what they are going through puts me at an advantage.

It was hard at times, but I love what I do.

Sometimes I get too involved with the kids I work with, but I was getting better at handling it. Before I learned to deal with it, I would spend countless amounts of nights crying in Edward's arms. He was amazing of course, and would tell me everything would be okay, but in my head, it wasn't. I wanted to help all of them. They shouldn't have to go through what I had to and I was determined to let them know that they can always get out. That was something I learned too late. I thought because of Renee, I was damaged for life. I was wrong…Edward showed me that.

But some of these kids weren't so lucky. They didn't have an Edward, so I tried to fill the role as best I could.

"What should I do?" Sabrina asked me.

"I know this may seem impossible to you, but I think you should tell your mother how you feel."

She shook her head frantically. "No, I can't."

"You can." I told her forcefully. "You can do it. Your Mom loves you, I know she does. Just talk to her and let her know how you feel. Communicating is the key, Sabrina. Trust me."

"But what if it makes her madder?"

"It may at first, but she will come around. She can't know that something is bothering you until you tell her."

"Yeah I guess." She said and started playing around with a piece of thread on the end of her shirt. She still seemed unsure.

"Look, talk to her, and come back tomorrow to tell me what happened. If she gets madder, I will call home, okay?" Right as I was done speaking, the bell rang for lunch.

"Okay, thank you, Mrs. Cullen."

"You're welcome, Sabrina." I said and patted her hand. I got up from the chair beside her and went back to the seat of my desk. I locked my computer and started getting the food from the little fridge I had under my desk. I took out both containers of pasta salad and turkey sandwiches. He was bringing the drinks he told me, so I didn't pack those today.

I contemplated on if I should call Edward or not. God knows I wanted to, because I hated leaving him home sick. He got the flu a couple days ago and hasn't been feeling well at all. I almost didn't come into work today but he literally carried me to the car and made me go. I then yelled at him for carrying me to the car in this cold weather while he was sick. Plus, he wasn't getting any younger. He could fool anyone though. He may be in his late forties, but my beautiful husband didn't look a day over forty.

He still had his thick reddish brown hair that I still loved to run my fingers through. He was still really fit and just lost a little muscle. He still had such a beautiful face with only a couple laugh lines which only made him more attractive in my eyes. Let's just say Brad Pitt had nothing on my man.

The door to my office opened and my other man walked in. He looked so much like Edward's father it was a little scary, but he definitely had a little bit of me in him along with Charlie. He had crazy hair that stuck up like his father. He was six feet; only a couple inches shorter than Edward. His hair was a little darker than mine—that's where Ed comes in—and he had my eyes. He was skinny and lanky like his Dad, and my son was just so handsome.

"Hey, Mom." He said and sat down in front of me with a smile on his face.

"Hey, baby. How has your day been?" He took our drinks out—two iced teas—and handed one to me while I got him his food.

"Good. I had two of my best classes this morning." Liam was an English teacher at the same high school I worked at as the crisis counselor. He was really passionate about teaching English, and was really involved with his students. He was an advisor for the senior class every year, went to all school events, and was also the coach of the school's baseball team.

"That's nice, but what about the next ones?"

He chuckled. "They just need a little push in the right direction." Liam was a very understanding person. I think he got that from both Edward and I. "So how is Dad?" He asked as he took a bite of his sandwich.

I sighed. "He is still sick. I wasn't going to come in today, but he made me."

He laughed. "Yeah that sounds like Dad."

"He misses you, Liam. You should come by." Liam was a very busy person. With his involvement at the school and also taking more classes for his principal license, he hasn't had a lot of free time on his hands. He came to visit every Sunday, but he was unable to come this week because of a baseball thing.

He sighed. "I will. I'll come by tonight. I have a board meeting until six, but I will go after that."

I smiled. "Good! I will make something for dinner."

"Oh don't go all out, Mom. Dad probably won't even be eating that much. And we won't have Peyton there to complain about what is for dinner." He said with a snicker.

"Oh leave your sister alone. I miss that girl." My little girl was now a college student. She was going to school out of state, and lived about two hours away from us. She was going to school to be a pediatrician which I thought was perfect for her. She was really good with kids, she was really funny, and so smart. She could make any person feel better.

"Yeah I know. You must be missing her nerdy boyfriend as well." He said with a snort.

I gasped and threw an eraser I had on my desk at him. "Don't say that, honey! John is a really good person!"

He laughed. "I know, Mom, but I love messing with that guy." Peyton is in a relationship with a man she has been with for four years. He is a year older than her, and the two have been inseparable since they met. John was an exchange student from England, and was really, really smart. Which is why Liam called him 'nerdy.' I have to admit…John is a little nerdy. He is in school majoring in math. He wears glasses and sweater vests and the whole 'nerdy' attire. Despite that, he was one of the nicest people I have ever met.

John and Peyton were kind of a weird match. Peyton is a beautiful, outgoing, and popular person whereas John was the total opposite. Although, I have to say he wasn't exactly bad looking. Peyton came home crying many times while in high school because people would always make fun of John. They made fun of the way he dressed, his accent, and every little thing they could because he was so quiet and never spoke that much. Peyton on the other hand was the popular girl in school, and people would start making fun of her for hanging out with him. She never stopped talking to him though. She knew a good person when she saw them, and wouldn't let him go. She would cry and say how it wasn't fair that he was so excluded, because my little girl was taken by him at first sight.

Edward of course wasn't too happy about Peyton having a boyfriend. He hated the idea when she first told him, but he quickly softened up a little when he met John. He was very respectful towards us and to Peyton and I couldn't imagine anyone else with my baby girl.

"As a matter of fact, I do miss John." He just rolled his eyes and took a sip of his iced tea. "You haven't heard from the _thing_ have you?" I asked him in disgust.

He sighed. "No, Mom. I have heard nothing from Sarah." Sarah…more like Satan.

"Good. She better not come back running or I will hit her this time." I told him truthfully.

"Calm down, Mom. I won't get back with her again." Fucking Sarah. That bitch met Liam in college, and they dated for three years. At first, she didn't seem so bad. She was a little stuck up, but otherwise a nice girl…or so we thought. We found out about a year and a half ago that Sarah-stupid-bitch was cheating on Liam throughout their entire relationship. Poor Liam had no idea because he was so busy all the time. He made time for her though, and then for her to just turn around and do that to him was slimy and disgusting.

Liam was really upset and hurt about it. When he found out, she tried to beg him to take her back, but Liam was smarter than that. He let her go, but not without him being hurt. He got hurt so badly, and that pain led to one of the worst nights of my existence…

_~Flashback~_

"_Mom! The pizza is here!" Peyton called out to her mother once the pizza guy finally left. She walked into the kitchen with the box of pizza in her hand and set it on the table. She got two plates and two cans of Coke for her and her mother. She knew Bella was stressing out, and thought she would appreciate having everything all set for her. _

_Bella walked into the room and smiled softly at Peyton who was already sitting at the table. She was still worrying about her son, but was glad she could spend some quiet time with her daughter. "Mmm…the pizza smells good, I am starving." Bella commented. _

"_I know me too!" Peyton said and started to pick up her own piece. She took a bite and wiped her mouth. "So when is Dad going to be home again?" She asked Bella. _

_Bella sighed. "Probably not until ten or something late like that." _

"_He is the owner! He shouldn't have to work that late!" _

"_Yeah, but you know your father, honey." _

"_Yeah I know." They were silent after that and continued eating their pizza. "So how do you want to do this?" Peyton asked randomly. _

_Bella looked up at her with a confused expression on her face. "What do you mean?"_

"_We need to coordinate and make Sarah's life a living hell." Bella laughed, but she didn't necessarily disagree. "I am not opposed to slow torture…just saying." Peyton commented and Bella laughed some more. _

"_I would if I could, but I can't. Your brother begged me to promise to just leave it alone." _

"_Oh please!" Peyton said loudly. "Who cares? That's a little unfair don't you think?" _

"_What do you mean?" Bella asked. _

"_Liam and Dad are always saying how much they would hurt John if he hurt me and I can't do the same for Liam? That's not fair! If that whore hurt my brother, I should get full permission and rights to smack the bitch." Bella laughed at her daughters words. Peyton didn't really swear a lot around Bella, but she knew she did it. She was 17 years old after all. _

"_I know, I know, but we should just respect his decision. But if she does something to hurt him again, I will join you in slapping that bitch." _

_Peyton put her hand out to Bella. Bella slapped it for a high five. "Hell yeah!" Peyton said and Bella laughed. _

_Bella looked over at the stove to see the time. "Wow it's already nine?" The jump in time threw Bella off. She had been too occupied with getting work done and worrying about Liam after he left a couple hours ago to realize how late it got. _

"_Yup and I will just be bo-red the rest of the night." Peyton said and picked up a big string of cheese that was falling from her pizza. _

"_Why don't you call John?" _

"_Because he is a big butt-head and goes to sleep at nine during the week." _

_Bella laughed. "Oh John, he is so strange." _

_Peyton smiled; her face a look of love and adoration thinking about John. "I know isn't he? I love it! It's like, yeah he may like to talk about World War I a lot, but what other teenage guy do you know goes to bed at nine?" _

"_Well at this point, just one." _

_Peyton laughed and then sighed. "I love that weirdo." _

"_I know you do." Bella said with a smile at her daughter. It sucks that her son is having such trouble with finding love, but it was nice to know her daughter at least had that and she trusted John more than she ever trusted Sarah. She just hoped she didn't make a mistake with trusting John as well. But on the other hand, the guy does go to bed at nine…how harmful can he be?_

_There was all of a sudden a loud and obnoxious knock on the door. Peyton and Bella both gave each other curious looks before both getting up. Bella led the way and answered the door. When she saw who was on the other side, she gasped and tried to push back her panic. _

"_Liam!" Peyton said in horror. _

"_Stop screaming." He grumbled and walked through the door on shaky legs. Bella was in shock looking at her son. He had blood falling down his face with the cut in his head, and his shirt was ripped. That was all scary, but not as scary as the other observation Bella made. _

_He reeked of alcohol. _

_Liam was drunk._

"_Liam what happened to you?" Peyton asked in complete fear. She was trying to hold back her tears and she had her hands over her mouth to try and hold them in. _

_Liam looked at her, but kind of just looked through her. "Don't cry, lil sis." He said and started to walk towards her. He couldn't walk in a straight line and he had his arms out to his side in an attempt to balance himself. It didn't work and he fell straight to the ground causing Bella to snap out of her state of shock. _

"_Liam! Are you okay, honey?" Bella said as she knelt down beside him. She was at a loss at what to do. She couldn't lift him from the ground. _

_Liam rolled over on his back and Bella and Peyton both watched as he was laughing. He was laughing uncontrollably. "Woopsies!" He said and started laughing even harder. _

"_Liam, honey, come on, let us help you up." Bella said to him. _

_He started to push her hands away. "No, Mommy, leave me on the floor. Just let everyone walk all over me. It's where I belong." _

_Peyton couldn't take seeing her brother like that anymore and left to the other room as she cried. Bella was put in a hard position on who she should comfort first. She turned to Liam who was now humming to himself. He was staring at the ceiling with a smile on his face. The blood was getting on the floor. Bella looked at the wound, and saw that it was already pretty much dried up, so that was one less thing she had to worry about. But where did he get it from?_

"_Liam, that's not true. You need to get up. Please get up for me, honey." She tried to grab him by the arms but he pushed her hands off again. _

"_Leave me alone, Mom! Fuck!" He wasn't laughing now, he was angry, still lying on the floor. Bella took her hands away from him as his words stung her. This wasn't her son. It scared her to see this other person inside of her beautiful, sweet, and smart little boy. _

_She got up from the ground and ran to the phone. She felt weak to have to call him, but she didn't know what to do. He didn't answer on her first call, and Bella began to panic as she heard Liam start to get up. _

"_Bella I can't really talk right now." Edward said in a quiet but aggravated voice. Bella figured he was in a meeting and felt bad for interrupting. _

"_Edward." She choked out as her breathing started to pick up. _

_Her strangled words changed Edward's tone completely. "What's wrong, love?" _

"_Edward…" She couldn't get much more out as she was now in a full blown panic attack. She couldn't breathe and her mind was going a million miles a minute. _

"_Bella! Come on, baby, just breathe." Edward tried to sooth her on the other end. Bella tried to do as he said, but was having trouble. "Love, I am on my way over there, just tell me what happened." Edward said. Bella could hair jumping movements through the phone, and knew he must have been running. She then heard him say something to someone about taking over a meeting and an emergency. _

"_Edward…I can't…" _

"_Bella come on…" Edward pleads with her. _

_Bella tried to say something, but couldn't. Soon she felt a pair of arms around her and the phone was being taken away from her. She clung to the person who had their arms around her, and heard the rapid beating of her heart in her ears. _

"_Daddy, you need to come home." Peyton said to her father. She had a tight grip around her mother and trying to get her breathing to settle a little. _

"_I am on my way, baby, what is going on? Are you two okay?"_

_There was a huge bang in the other room, and the sound of glass breaking filled the house. "It's Liam. He's drunk, Daddy. He is scaring us." She answered. _

_She heard her father's breath catch. "Fuck." He muttered softly. "Look, I am leaving right now. For now, just leave him alone, okay? But honey, make sure he does not leave the house." _

"_Okay, I won't." _

"_Everything will be alright, angel. I will be right there." Peyton was slightly comforted at her father's words. She knew he would do anything to make everything better because that is what he has always done her whole life. "Can you give the phone to your Mom?" _

"_Okay." She said and handed the phone to Bella. _

"_Edward I…" She tried saying more, but she was to sick with worry and panic._

"_Bella listen to me right now." Edward said forcefully. "This is not your fault." She shook her head; she still couldn't understand how he always knew what she was thinking. "I love you, I will be home soon, and I will deal with him." _

"_Kay." She said and Edward hung up. She hung up the phone as well and hugged her daughter tight. _

"_You okay, Mom?" Peyton asked worriedly. She wasn't used to seeing her mother in that kind of state. _

_She nodded her head against her daughter's shoulder. "Let's go make sure he is okay." Bella said and the two of them walked to the kitchen hand in hand where Liam was. He was digging through the fridge. A vase was on the floor shattered and the flowers Edward got Bella for Valentine's Day was on the floor along with it. _

_He was mumbling to himself and digging through the fridge. "Mom!" He yelled as if he thought she was in the other room. _

"_What is it, Liam?" She asked quietly. _

_Liam started laughing. "Oh! You are right there!" He was giggling and leaning on the fridge door for support. "You have anything to drink?" _

"_We have water…" _

"_No, no, no that's not what I mean! Something to take the pain away. Jerry was right, the drink does help. But you know what I mean, right Mom?" He didn't know what he was saying, and Bella knew that, but it still didn't stop the pain in her chest at his words. The only thing going through her mind was _I did this to him.

"_Shut up, Liam!" Peyton screamed. She stalked over to him and slammed the fridge door shut. "Go sit on the chair!" She yelled at him and started to push him. _

"_Let go of me, Peyton!" He yelled and started to push her away. Peyton wasn't giving up that easily. She went right back to him and pushed him towards the table. _

"_Stop being stupid. Go sit down."_

"_No! You can't tell me what to do!" He said stubbornly and pushed her hands away again. Peyton was not giving up. The tears were falling from her face, but she paid them no mind and kept pushing and pushing. _

"_Liam please just sit down." Peyton begged him in a whimper. She hated seeing her brother like the way he was. She knew her mother was an alcoholic when she was just a small child, but she didn't have detailed recollections of seeing her drunk, and it hurt to see her brother in the drunken state. _

_Bella went forward and tried helping Peyton. "Yes, honey, please sit down." _

"_No!" He yelled and finally took himself completely away from the both of them. "Stop fucking telling me what to do!" _

"_Liam we are only trying to help you…" Bella said to him in a calming voice. _

"_I don't need any help! I am fine on my own! I don't need you or you or her or anyone else. I am better off alone." _

"_That's not true, baby." Bella said. _

"_Yes it is!" He screamed. He took one of the chairs from the table and threw it against the wall. He then started laughing, a scary laugh. He took another chair and threw it. Bella and Peyton were watching in horror at how angry he was. Liam is never like that. _

_Bella was watching her son unravel before her, and felt a flood of relief when she felt his hands on her arms as he passed her. She looked up and Edward was walking towards Liam who just punched the wall. He went behind Liam and pulled him by the shoulders. He moved him with more ease than the two women had. _

"_Let me fucking go!" Liam yelled and struggled against Edward. _

_Edward was unwavering and did not let go. "That's enough, son." He told him forcefully, and took a hold of his arms. "Look at me, Liam." _

_Bella watched on and saw her husband deal with their intoxicated son. He was having a much easier time dealing with it, and Bella soon realized why. She was now looking on as he had to deal with someone he loves drunk. She saw the pain in her husband's eyes and the strain in his voice, and she was overcome with absolute guilt knowing she put him through that on a daily basis. _

_Liam looked up at his father. "Let me go, Dad." He said in a much weaker voice now. Liam was an angry drunk, that much was obvious, but his moods were sporadic and he would get weak. Edward didn't know the steps to his son's drunkenness and he hoped he would never have to memorize them. But he knew he wouldn't. He wouldn't let his son follow the same path his mother did. _

"_We are going upstairs alright?" He told him. _

"_No, Dad." He said weakly, and Edward paid no attention. He wrapped his arm around his son's middle and led him to the entryway of the kitchen. Liam wasn't helping his father move him, and let his feet drag on the floor. Edward held on tighter to him as he dragged him out of the room. _

_Bella watched her husband and son walk out of the room and not knowing what to do. "Mom?" Peyton asked. _

"_Yeah, honey?" _

"_Can John come over?" Bella looked at her daughter. The tears were falling down her cheeks as she sniffled and wrung her hands in front of her. Bella opened her arms for her daughter and Peyton walked right into her arms. _

_Bella wanted to be able to comfort her daughter, but she also needed to take care of her son. She wouldn't let Edward do it alone, and she felt she needed to see what it was like. She needed to see what Edward went through all those years. She was there, but she wasn't. She didn't really remember the nights she was drunk. _

"_He can come over, but it will be up to your father if he stays the night." She knew Edward wouldn't be too happy about him coming over this late, but Peyton needed someone right now. Edward can't be two places at once and neither could Bella. _

"_Thank you." She said and let go of her Mom to go call him. Bella went to clean up all the mess that Liam made. From the broken vase to the seats that were in a disarray around the room. It took her a little while to get everything clean, and the house was silent besides the voices of Edward and Liam upstairs. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she felt she really didn't want to. _

_She found herself stalling, and making Edward do everything on his own, so she snapped out of it, and decided to head upstairs. As she was heading up, there was a knock on the door. Bella was about to open the door for John when Peyton came running out of the living room and opened the door on her own. As soon as John was in sight, Peyton jumped in his arms and started crying. Bella watched on as John wrapped his arms tight around her and rubbed his hands along her back. _

"_Shh…it's okay, sweetheart." He whispered in her ear and she started crying harder. John carried her into the house and kicked the door shut. He looked over Peyton's shoulder to Bella. "Hello, Bella." Bella was glad he was finally calling her by her first name. It took a while to get him out of the habit of calling her Mrs. Cullen. _

"_Hi, John. I will just be upstairs okay?" _

"_Okay, we will stay in the living room. I know Mr. Cullen wouldn't like us in her room." He said. John was a little more nervous to start calling Edward by his first name. Edward gave John a hard time at first and it made him nervous ever since. _

"_Thank you, John." Bella walked up to them and kissed Peyton's wet cheek. "I love you, honey. Liam will be fine."_

_She nodded her head and Bella kissed her daughter again before heading upstairs. She heard their voices coming from the bathroom, so that is where she went. _

"_Since when do you like sitting in the bathroom, Dad?" She heard Liam ask. _

"_I don't like sitting in the bathroom." She heard Edward answer in a monotone voice. No matter what he said, Liam wouldn't remember it in the morning anyway, so why pretend? _

_Bella opened the door and found Edward sitting on the floor leaning against the bathtub. Liam was sitting on top of the counter and swinging his legs. How Edward got him to stay in the room was beyond her, but she joined them. _

"_Oh hey Mom, you coming to join our bathroom party?" He asked me and started laughing hysterically. Edward jumped up from the floor faster than she could realize what was happening and caught Liam before he fell over on the counter. "Whoa, good catch, Dad." Liam said and started laughing some more. _

"_Yeah, I don't want to have to do it again." Edward said and sat Liam on the floor this time so he wouldn't hurt himself. Edward went over to Bella who was now sitting on the floor leaning against the bathtub and sat beside her. He grabbed her hand but otherwise didn't look at her. _

_Liam was laughing quietly to himself for a minute. He stopped laughing however and his face soon turned sad. Bella and Edward watched as their son turned from laughing to crying in two seconds flat. Bella couldn't just stand back as her little boy was crying so she crawled over to him. Edward didn't bother trying to stop her and just stood in his place. He covered his face with his hands so he didn't have to look if he didn't have to. Seeing his son in that state was bringing up too many old feelings that Edward thought he would never have to feel again. Well hoped anyway._

"_Oh baby…" Bella said as she reached for Liam and brought his head to her chest and wrapped her arms around him. Liam wrapped his arms around Bella as well as he cried. "It's okay, my boy. It's okay." She soothed him like she did when he was a child. She was lost as if that was the right thing to do, but she felt she couldn't have done anything else. It was the motherly instinct. She couldn't just sit back and watch her son in pain._

"_What did I do, Mom?" He asked her in between his cries. "I thought I was doing everything right and then she just did that. Was I not good enough?" _

_Bella ran her hand through his hair and kissed the top of his head. "You were too good for her, baby. Her doing that is her problem and her loss. I promise you. This pain will go away." _

"_I was stupid." _

"_You are not. She fooled us all." She assured him. _

"_I think I'm going to be sick." He said. At his words, Edward lifted his head and reached for his son. He grabbed him by the arms and brought him over the toilet. As soon as he was over the bowl, Liam started throwing up violently. Bella watched on in horror as his whole body shook with the force of it. His face was red and the tears were falling along with snot and the bile coming out of his throat. He started dry heaving and sobbing and then choking. _

"_Just breathe, son." Edward said as he rubbed Liam's back. "Calm down and breathe." _

_Liam started taking breaths, but was interrupted again by another round of vomit coming from his mouth. The sounds of him sobbing and gagging and choking and gasping for breath was what broke Bella completely. She got up from her spot on the floor and ran out of the room. _

_She went into her and Edward's bedroom and shut the door. She leaned back on the door and let her body slide down it. Her hands were shaking as she rested her elbows on her uplifted knees and buried her face in her hands. She still heard her son across the hall crying and yelling and violently vomiting along with the sound of her husband's soothing voice as he tried to comfort Liam. Bella covered her ears with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut hoping to make it all go away. _

_But it wouldn't go away. _

_Bella finally lost all composure she had inside of her as the pain took over every part of her being. A lot of things were hurting her. Her son was in pain because of a stupid girl. Her son was drunk. He was drunk like she used to be and she feared with her history with alcohol that Liam would have troubles with it as well because she knew it ran in her blood. She felt she infested him with it and because of her, he would struggle with alcohol. _

_Also what pained her was watching Edward. He was so collected in dealing with Liam. He was like a robot actually. He knew all of the signs; he knew when something would happen to him because he had so much experience with it when Bella was a drunk. It pained Bella to think that the pain that was ripping its way through her also ripped through Edward every single time she got drunk. It killed her inside to think that because of her, the love of her life was in constant pain and she was too inhibited and stupid to realize it right away and fix it for him. _

_She felt lost. _

* * *

_Bella lay numb on the bed. Liam and Edward have been silent for a little while now, but she couldn't find it inside herself to get up. She felt weak, but she knew Edward would be taking care of him. She felt horrible leaving him to do it on his own, but she just felt…nothing. Just the numbness. _

_She heard the door open finally and she knew it was Edward without looking up. She just felt him. He walked over to the bed and laid down beside her. She felt his arms around her in an instant as he spooned himself to the back of her body and kissed the side of her face. _

_He placed small kisses all over her face and rubbed his hand across her arm. His tenderness only made her cry more and tears fell from her eyes. He lifted her hand that he had in his, and wiped her tears away. "He's okay, love. Getting drunk isn't a death sentence." He said softly, soothingly, just wanting her not to be upset anymore._

"_But he's my son." She whimpered and held Edward's arm closer to her. "Julia says it runs in the family." _

"_I know, love. Maybe that was the reason he got drunk so fast, but this was a onetime thing. Don't you know enough about Liam to know he will regret it in the morning?" _

_She just shook her head and didn't answer his question. "How do you do it?" _

"_Do what?" He asked._

_She felt more tears build up and she kissed Edward's hand. "You knew exactly what to do, and you held yourself together while I was falling apart." _

_He kissed her head. "I have had experience." _

"_That's my fault." _

"_Shh…it's in the past. But you want to know how I dealt with it? It is simple actually." _

"_I don't know." She wasn't sure she wanted to know how her mistakes conditioned him to think a certain way. She felt he shouldn't have even had to learn it. _

"_I just keep telling myself it's not him, because it isn't. So he may have been angry one second and then ridiculously happy the next—and that can be scary to watch—but it isn't Liam. It's the alcohol, and you just have to get through it." _

"_I tried that, but it didn't work. It still hurt to see him like that." _

"_I never said it didn't hurt, Bella. But you learn to deal with it. You have no other choice." _

"_I'm sorry." She said as more tears fell. It was the only thing she could think of to say to express how she was feeling. Edward tried to comfort her the best he could, but it didn't really seem like anything was working as she continued to cry. She had to let it out. It was a lot to take in. _

_~End Flashback~_

Edward was right. Liam did regret it in the morning when he woke up with that hangover. He came to me crying and seeing him like that hurt more than him crying when he was drunk because I knew that it was really my boy in that much pain. He cried about making that decision to drink and apologized profusely for putting me through that, because Edward and I always told our kids to not drink, but he did. He also finally cried about what happened with Sarah. He finally let it all out, and I was glad he turned to me and I was able to be there for him. He shouldn't have had to go through that because of a stupid girl who he was way too good for.

I hated her. Oh boy, did I hate her. I hate anyone that hurt my kids or my husband and that bitch really did a number on my boy. Thankfully he got out of it okay, and he is now thriving and amazing as he always has been after that one minor set back.

"So there is no one else?" As much as I didn't want him being hurt again, I also didn't want him to never know true love. The feeling was one of a kind, and I felt he deserved to feel it.

"No, no one else, Mom. If there is, I will let you know."

I nodded my head. "Good." My phone started ringing and I picked it up. "Good afternoon, this is Bella Cullen." I answered.

"Well hello there, Bella Cullen. You sound sexy." The playful and nasally voice of my beautiful husband said. My poor Edward, he sounded so sick.

"Hey, baby. I would say something else but our son is sitting right in front of me." I said with a smile.

Liam choked on his drink and I laughed. "Ugh…Mom that's so gross." He said and tried clearing his throat a little.

Edward started laughing, but that only got him coughing uncontrollably and he sounded horrible. _Why did I listen to him this morning and leave him home all alone and sick again?_

"Honey…are you okay?" I asked him. He coughed a couple more times before speaking again. He wasn't as playful as before, he just sounded tired.

"Yeah, I'm fine, love." He said in a scratchy voice. "Tell Liam I said hi."

"Your Dad says hi." I told Liam. I really wanted to go home with hearing him like this.

"Tell him I will be by later to visit him, and tell him to go to bed; he sounds horrible."

"Did you hear him?" I asked Edward.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm fine though. I have been sleeping all day." He said and started coughing some more.

"That's what you are supposed to do, Edward. Now I am hanging up so you can go back to bed."

He groaned. "You're mean."

"I love you." I said interrupting him until he would say more. "Go to bed, Edward."

"Come on, Bella. Just talk a…" He couldn't get the rest out because he started coughing.

"Goodbye, Edward."

He sighed. "Fine. I love you. Tell Liam I better see his face here tonight." He started coughing again. _I want to go home. _Only about three hours to go…maybe I can make it.

"I will, please rest, baby. You are worrying me."

"Stop worrying, I will go to bed. Bye, love."

"Bye, Edward." I hung up the phone and picked my sandwich back up. I took a bite and started chewing slowly.

"He's fine, Mom." Liam said. He knew how worried I got about my family because I did it a lot. I couldn't help it.

"I know he is, but still." I was so overly protective of Edward. He was the reason I was sitting in this room talking to my son…how couldn't I be? There was a knock at my door. "Come in!"

The door opened, and in walked a beautiful girl with dark black hair and shining blue eyes. "Hey, Aunty!" She said as she walked behind Liam's seat. She ruffled his hair and he tried to dodge her.

"Hello, Destiny. To what do I owe this visit?" I asked.

"I didn't feel like eating lunch, so I was just walking around, and decided to come visit my fam." She started to pull at Liam's ears.

"Can you stop it, weird kid?" He asked. Liam and Destiny had a very interesting relationship. Those two argued more than Liam and Peyton did, but that is just because Destiny liked to get under Liam's skin. Poor Liam got tortured when he was younger once Destiny was walking and talking and joining forces with Peyton. The two of them together was really something else.

Destiny leaned forward and kissed Liam on the cheek. "I love you LiLi!"

I laughed and Liam groaned. He hated that nickname that Destiny used for him. "Why am I related to this?" Liam asked sarcastically.

"Get over it, Liam." I said as I shook my head at them.

"Oh, Aunt Bella, are you going to bring me home today?" Destiny asked.

"Where are your parents?"

"Dad is working until five, and Mom has to bring Thing 1 and Thing 2 to the doctors." By Thing 1 and Thing 2 she meant Jackson and Mason; my twin nephews and her brothers. They were five and little troublemakers. Their cute blonde hair and blue eyes gave them a look of innocence, but they really were a handful.

They took after their mother, Kelsey, with their looks. Kelsey was Seth's now wife, and was a life saver really. She was Destiny's nanny after I started school, and Seth and Kelsey both fell in love. They were on and off for a while, but they eventually found their balance, and they were happily married with their three kids. Kelsey was really close to Destiny since she pretty much raised her as a mother. We still haven't heard from Andrea after all these years. We know the police found her, but never heard of anything after that.

"Yeah, I will bring you home. I would offer you to come over, but your Uncle is really sick."

"Oh yeah, Grampie told me about that. I will send him healthy vibes later on." She said only half serious.

"Weird kid." Liam commented. Destiny laughed and went back to the door.

"Bye, all. See you later." She said and headed out the door. Liam and I both said goodbye to her and then went back to eating.

"Oh Mom, I talked to Melanie yesterday. She said to tell you hi and all that."

"Oh is she coming home soon?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, she didn't say." Melanie was Karen and Nancy's daughter. She was three years older than Liam and she was backpacking through Europe. She was definitely a free-spirit and was a great girl. When Karen and Nancy first got her, she was twelve and was an angry child. Karen and Nancy saw something in her though, and never gave up on her. They had some trouble, but eventually Melanie realized she had a lot of people who loved her, and came around to be a lively and amazing girl.

I kind of wished Melanie and Liam would have gotten together, but they were just really good friends. They had different lifestyles, and I guess it wouldn't work out.

"When is Peyton visiting?" Liam asked. I knew he really must have missed her. God knows both Edward and I have. She was our baby, and we went so long without seeing her.

There was a point where Edward and I wanted to have another child. We longed for one really. We felt we still had so much more love to give to more children, and when Peyton was five, she really wanted a little brother and sister. Edward and I tried for a full year. It was not a happy time. We tried and tried and I tried all the tricks in the book, but nothing seemed to help out.

Edward and I fought a lot during that time. Both of us were just really frustrated with the whole thing, and it was a hard time for us. We both wanted the same thing, and together we couldn't get it. There was even a point where we talked about potentially separating because the fights got so bad and Peyton and Liam were being affected by all the fighting, but we knew it would never happen because we couldn't be apart. Being apart wasn't an option.

So we made an appointment with a doctor since we knew we couldn't do it on our own. We were open to any options or suggestions the doctor made, as long as we got our baby that we wanted so much.

The doctor's appointment ended up being another one of the worst days of my life.

I was unable to bear anymore children.

It was a bunch of medical terms and reasons why I couldn't, and I didn't pick up on all of them. Edward explained them to me, but the mechanics didn't matter. Because I drank so much alcohol, it pretty much destroyed my reproductive system, and I would no longer be able to carry another child or give my husband something he wanted so badly.

After that, it was another time I had to fight to not drink again. It was hard, but I was able to not do it. Edward must have known, because he never blamed me for it, although I knew deep down he did and I wouldn't have blamed him. I had my children, husband, brother, father, step mother, and all my other family there to support me in that time, and that is how I got through it. I still hurt thinking about it now, but as Edward says, it's in the past. What's done is done.

"Hopefully she will be visiting soon." I told him and he nodded his head in agreement. We talked some more, and I loved having these lunches with him. But soon the bell rang, and he had to get back to his classes. He gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek with a promise of coming over later on. I went back to work, and my phone rang. It better not be Edward or I will beat him up when I went home I swear…

"Good afternoon, this is Bella Cullen." I answered.

"Hello, darling." My father said on the other line. I smiled at hearing his voice. I missed him as well. Him and Sue were on vacation in Aruba for two weeks. The both of them were living it up on their retirement money, and I was happy for them, but I missed them of course.

"Hey, Dad, how is it going over there?"

"Oh it is so great over here! We are going on a boat soon, but I figured I would call you first because we may not have service."

"Oh that sounds fun…well while you are over there soaking in the sun, I am over here working with a sick husband at home." I said with a small laugh, and he laughed too.

"Don't worry kid, once you retire, you will be the one traveling and all that jazz. So Edward is still sick, huh?" The great thing about my father was that he loved Edward as if he were his own son. I honestly don't understand how anyone couldn't love Edward, but maybe that is just because I am biased.

"Yeah, he has the flu and still sounds crappy." I heard what sounded like a horn or something in the background.

"Oh shoot, that means I have to go. I thought I would have more time, but I guess not. I'll call again as soon as I can."

"Okay, well have fun on your boat ride."

"I will. Give everyone my love and make sure you tell Edward he better stop being a sissy and stop being sick." I laughed at his words.

"I will tell everyone and I will tell Edward just what you said. Bye Dad, I love you."

"Love you too, Bella. Talk to you soon."

I hung up the phone and looked over to the clock. Just a little over three hours. I think I can do it.

* * *

I was in a scramble to get the right key to open the door. I ended up having to stay at work a little longer than I wanted to because of an emergency with one of the students. I was glad I was able to help with his meltdown he had in my office, but I also wanted to go home and be with my husband.

Once I got the door open, I noticed the house was quiet. That probably meant Edward was sleeping. I knew he should be sleeping, but I was kind of wishing he was awake so I could talk with him and just be with him. I checked in the living room, but he wasn't there, so I went up to our room.

I opened the door and indeed found him. A smile spread across my face. He was lying propped up on some pillows for his stuffy nose. One of his legs was hanging off the side of the bed, and he was snoring softly. Despite just how cute he looked, the reason I was smiling so much was the girl tucked into his side.

She was awake and just lying on her father's side with her arm wrapped around him. She looked up at me when I opened the door, and her mouth spread into a smile that looked just like Edward's. Her hair had darkened up since she was a blonde baby. Her hair was a little lighter than mine, but darker than Edward's. She had a nice brown and reddish brown mix. Her eyes were all completely Edward's. Her small petite frame mirrored mine, and she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

I walked over to them and ran my hand through Edward's hair. His forehead was a little sweaty and I could tell he still had a fever. I gave him a kiss on his forehead, and he didn't wake up. He was in a dead sleep, and I was glad he was getting some rest.

Peyton started to get up from his side. She kissed his cheek before she crawled off the bed. She ran over to me and grabbed my hand. She dragged me out the door and shut the door softly. As soon as the door was closed she wrapped her arms around my neck and squealed softly.

"Mom! I have missed your face!" She whisper yelled.

I laughed. "I missed your face too, honey. What are you doing here?"

She wasn't supposed to visit until the holidays. She pulled away and grabbed my hand again. She brought me downstairs so we could talk normally I presumed.

"Well I was getting pretty homesick, and then when I found out Dad had the flu; I just wanted to come over." She explained. We went to the living room and sat at the couch.

"I am so glad you did, Peyton! I have missed you so much! Your Dad must have been so happy to see you too." I pulled her in for another hug. I may have been being the overbearingly loving mother in that minute, but I didn't care. My baby girl was here!

"Yeah he was, but not as happy as I was!" Peyton and Edward were really close. We were all a really close knit family, but Edward and Peyton were like Yin and Yang.

"Is John here?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, he had classes all weekend so he couldn't come." I noticed the tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Oh that's too bad. I miss that guy."

"He is so hard to live with sometimes, Mom!" She wasn't really complaining. She sounded a little aggravated, but there was so much love in her voice along with it. "Peyton why is the toothbrush cap off? Peyton, sweetheart, why are your socks at the foot of the bed." She mimicked him and his British accent. I laughed at her. "Seriously! He is such a neat freak!"

"You already knew that, Peyton." She commented on it many times before they went off to college. That was another way they were completely different. Peyton isn't neat in any way. Her room was always so dirty when she was younger and it took a lot of bugging from me and Edward to get her to clean it.

"I know I did, but ugh! The guy is lucky I love him to death or else I would take all of his socks out of his drawer and match them up with my pink socks."

I laughed again. I laughed so much when Peyton was around. "That's so mean."

"Well at least I know what I can do when I get mad at him. There are so many possibilities."

"You are crazy. Poor John."

"Poor John, my ass. He is lucky to have such a loving and caring girlfriend as me. No one else would deal with his shit."

I laughed. "I have a feeling it goes both ways, honey."

She laughed. "Yeah I guess so. So Dad says Liam is coming over?" I could tell how much she missed him as well.

"Yes he is."

"Yes!" She said excitedly. "I am going to give him the biggest tackle hug this world has seen and then I am going to pinch his cheeks."

I chuckled. "He will hate that pinching of the cheeks."

"Oh I know; that's why I am going to do it." Liam and Peyton teased each other a lot and joked around with each other a lot, but I knew it was all out of love. I couldn't help myself from pulling her back to me for a hug because I missed my baby. She laughed when I squeezed her. "Jeez Mom, I have only been gone a month."

"Shut up. That is too long." I said to her and she laughed.

"I know. I missed you too, Mom."

I kissed the top of her head and finally released her. "So what do you want to do while your father is sleeping?"

"Hmm…" She looked around the room while tapping her finger on her chin. "I think a game of Go Fish would be all different degrees of awesome right about now."

I laughed at her choice. Even though she is 19 years old and a successful college student, she is still a child at heart. "Let's do it." And apparently, so am I.

* * *

"Oh my God, Mom, I cannot cut these cucumbers." Peyton said as she put the knife to the tip of the cucumber. She was cutting it for the salad. I just ordered some pizza because Liam said he was on his way. It was almost 6:30 and Edward was still sleeping.

I laughed. "It's not that hard."

"Yes it is! I don't do this shit at home!" Peyton definitely took after Edward with her cooking skills. She was horrible at it from what I have gathered.

"Poor John." I commented.

"Poor John, poor John, that's all anyone says!"

"How does he eat?"

"Well for your information, John actually is quite a fan of the many delectable lines of boxed cereal." She said in a British accent. She was pretty much flawless in her imitation which was to be expected since her boyfriend was British.

"You make him eat cereal?"

She shrugged. "Well I love him, and don't want him to die from my horrible cooking."

I laughed at her. Definitely a child at heart. "I will have to call him later and invite him over so I can make him a very nice meal with a lot of extra leftovers."

"Oh don't spoil him." I laughed and continued ripping apart the lettuce. I heard the front door open however, and I soon lost my cucumber cutter as she was running out of the room. "Liam!" She squealed. I dried off my hands and made my way to the foyer. I could hear Liam's laugh, and I walked in just in time for the pinching of the cheeks.

"Ugh…stop that." He said and tried to get her hand away by swatting at it. Peyton grabbed his face and kissed his cheeks. He tried to act annoyed, but I could see he was so happy to see her.

"I missed you, big brother. I haven't gotten to pinch these little cheeks in so long."

"Not long enough you psycho." He commented. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his middle; her head resting on his chest as she hugged him. Liam looked over to me. "Hey, Mom. Where's Dad?"

"He's sleeping. I will go wake him though."

"Oh no, Mom. Let him sleep. I will be here for a while." He said.

"No, he has been sleeping for a while and I know he would want to be awake to see you both." He nodded his head in understanding, and I headed up the stairs to go get Edward. When I got to the room, he wasn't in the same position as before. He was still propped up on the pillows, but he was now lying on his side. He wasn't wearing socks and I specifically told him to keep them on. Having cold feet doesn't help getting better from what I heard.

I couldn't find it in me to get mad at him though because he just looked too cute and peaceful sleeping soundly. Of course I could hear his congestion, but he was at least getting some rest. I walked over to the bed and crawled onto it. I laid down beside him on my side so I was facing him. I ran my nails across his scalp hoping to get him to wake up. I kissed his forehead and headed down. I kissed his forehead, brow, eyelids, nose, both cheeks and he finally opened his eyes.

"Bella?" He mumbled. As soon as the word came out of his mouth, a lot of nasty coughs followed with it. He covered his mouth and turned his head away from me. I hated seeing him like that. I reached over and rubbed his back while he let it out. When he was done, he was just kind of limp on the bed. "Sorry." He said with his voice all scratchy.

"Don't be sorry, baby." I told him and looked at his face. I brought my hand to his forehead and he still had a small fever. My poor Edward. I leaned forward to give him a kiss, but he moved away.

"No, love. I don't want you to get sick."

"Well unlike you, Mister, I got my flu shot this year so shut up." The day I went, he had work. I kept telling him to go, but he just kept putting it off. Men, I tell you. He sighed in defeat because he knew I was right and I kissed him softly on the lips. His lips were a little chapped but it was still a great kiss. Any kiss from him made me all tingly all over. I just adore every little thing about him.

He pulled away first and pulled me to his chest. I realized why he did it when he started coughing again over my head. "This fucking sucks." He said.

"I know it does, baby. I would take it away if I could."

"I wouldn't let you."

"I would win. I'm cooler."

He laughed and thankfully he only coughed a little after that. "Can't argue with that."

"If you're really tired, you can go back to sleep, but the kids are downstairs and I thought you would want to see them."

"Liam's here too?" He asked.

"Yes he is."

He sighed. "Good. But just a minute. I am quite comfortable right now." He said and held me tighter and kissed the top of my head.

I chuckled. "Yeah me too."

"How was your day, love?"

"It was okay. I felt bad leaving you home though."

"Well I am right here, I'm still alive."

I rolled my eyes. "I knew you would be alive, you dork. I just wanted to take care of you."

"I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."

I lifted my head and kissed his lips a couple times. "So how was your day at work?" I asked him.

He pulled away a little. "Uh…I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh yes you do. I have connections, baby."

"Fucking Karen." He muttered.

"Yeah, fucking Karen. She called me and told me you called into work at least ten times today."

He looked like a little boy who knew he was in trouble. "Was it ten? I think it was more like eight or nine…"

I couldn't help but smile at him trying to get out of it. "Edward, you were supposed to be sleeping and getting better."

"I did sleep."

"Yeah, for two and a half hours when I got home!"

"I'm sorry."

I groaned. "Why do you do that, baby? You need to take care of yourself."

"I do take care of myself, Bella."

"No you don't. You think you're superman and can do everything no matter what, but you can't." I said and hit his chest lightly. I didn't know where this was coming from, but I just worry about him so much. "You have to learn to take some help like I did. Because what if you do something that is too much and you get taken away from me? What would I do? I couldn't…"

He put his hand over my mouth. "Bella, stop." I moved his hand from my mouth and didn't say anything. I knew I was overreacting, but damn, was it so much to ask for him to just stay home and take care of himself?

"I'm sorry. I just worry about you, that's all."

"I know you do, but you shouldn't have to. I only have the flu."

"I know." I was again realizing how stupid I must have sounded, but I couldn't help it. I was so protective of him. He was a part of me. Without him I wouldn't be able to go on. It was as simple as that.

"Look, I'm sorry I was working, but I have responsibilities there." I was going to say something, but he held his finger up. "I know. It's not as important, but I guess I don't think of things in that way, but I will work on it. I don't mean to worry you, love."

I sighed and kissed him. "I know you don't. You are just naturally ridiculously unselfish."

He chuckled. He grabbed my face with both his hands and kissed me harder and with more passion. His tongue passed through my lips and I moaned at the intrusion. I got a little too into it, and I pushed him back on the bed so he was lying on his back. I got on top of him and kissed him back with as much passion as he was giving me. He wrapped his arms around me and placed his hands on my ass. He squeezed and I squealed against his mouth. He started to laugh softly, and I could hear the cough building up in his throat. I pulled away with a final peck and rested my head on his chest as he coughed.

I could practically hear everything loosening up in his lungs and I felt so bad. Hopefully he would get better soon.

"Mom! Dad! You better not be up there getting your freak on or else I am jumping out the window!" Peyton called up the stairs. I instantly started laughing and poor Edward did too, but that only got him to cough even more.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry." I said and kissed his forehead.

"Eh, it's okay. It will pass."

"Hopefully sooner than later." I said and got off of him and off the bed. I held my hands out to him, and he took them. I pulled him up from his position lying down and he put his legs over the bed.

I let go of his hands and got him a pair of socks. He rolled his eyes when I brought them over. "I am pretty sure socks aren't the cure to the flu, love."

"Humor me, asshole."

"Humor me, asshole." He mocked me in a voice that did not sound like me at all.

I laughed and put the socks on him. I stood up and pulled him off the bed. I grabbed his hand and headed for the door, but he pulled me back. He gave me another kiss on the lips and I melted into him.

"We have to get downstairs before our daughter jumps." I reminded him. He chuckled.

"I know, we will. But I just had to tell you I loved you first."

"You are so sweet and corny sometimes I just fucking love it." I said and kissed him again. "I love you too, baby. Now let's go spend some times with our kids."

"Our lives, you mean."

"Yes, they are our lives." I grabbed his hand and kissed it before dragging him out of the room. We went downstairs just in time to see Liam throw a piece of lettuce right in Peyton's face. Peyton gasped and threw a cucumber at him.

"Did you see that, Mom?" Liam asked with a hint of mischief in his voice. "She just threw something at me."

"Now, now, no fighting you two." I said. I let go of Edward's hand and went to wash them before I finished the salad.

"Yeah, Liam." Peyton sneered as she made her way over to Edward. Edward opened his arms for her instantly and she wrapped her arms around his middle. "How are you feeling, Daddy?" She asked him in a sweet voice. A stark contrast to the sneer she gave Liam.

"I'm fine, my love." He kissed the top of her head and let go of her. She untangled her arms from around him and stood next to me. Edward walked over to Liam and pulled him in for a hug.

"Hey, Dad." Liam said and hugged Edward right back. "You okay?"

Edward groaned and pulled away from Liam. "Listen now, dear family of mine." He said in his all business voice. It was actually quite sexy even though he was all congested. "I am going to say this only one more time…" He paused. "Wait for it…." Another pause—what a dork. "I. Am. Fine. Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?" We all nodded our heads and I chuckled at him. "Good. So please no one ask me again or I am going to take Peyton's idea and jump out the window." We all laughed at him and he laughed with us. But with the flu, laughing led to coughing.

"Oh Daddy are you o…woops." Peyton said and put her hand to her mouth. Edward groaned and made his way to the window. "Ah!" Peyton yelled and ran at him. "Don't do it Daddy! Think of the children!" She said dramatically.

"Yeah Dad, don't do it!" Liam said and went over to them. I rolled my eyes at them. Edward obviously wasn't going to jump out the window. Even if he did, it would be all but three feet.

"Well at least there are two people who care if I jump." He said and looked toward me suggestively. He put his arms around both the kid's shoulders.

"Oh please, Edward. It's three feet." I said. He stuck his tongue out at me. "Mature, Edward. Nice." I said.

"You see what I have to deal with when you guys are gone?" He said while looking to both of his sides at the kids. "She's so mean."

They both laughed. "Oh please, Dad." Liam said.

"Yeah, you can't fool us. You both love each other so much, it makes me sick."

Edward looked up at me with his cute smile. "Yeah we do love each other don't we?"

"Dad, I think you should go back to bed. You are acting wacky. First you attempt to jump out the window, and now you are acting like you never knew you loved, Mom." Peyton said.

"Yeah old man, I think you're losing it." Liam said and patted his chest before ducking out of his arms. Peyton went with him to sit at the table. Edward was standing by the window with a pout. He looked over at me, and I shook my head while smiling at him. He made his way over to me and hugged me from behind.

"I'm not that old, am I?" He asked.

"Sorry baby, but you are getting up there." I told him.

"Well who cares? I don't, do you?"

"Actually…I'm not really into older men."

"So mean!" He said. I laughed and turned around. I grabbed his face in my hands. "But for you I will make an exception."

He smiled and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you, beautiful."

"Anytime, anyplace, anything, Edward." I told him with a kiss. Each word was an undying promise I would make to him every second of everyday if he needed to hear it.

He was my reason for everything. He was the reason I was alive. He was the reason I have my two beautiful children. He was the reason I was happy every day of my life. He was my life. I would give my life for him in a heartbeat. He already did that for me. I owe him everything. I don't think I could ever fully and truly repay him, but I could do what I could with what I had.

All I had for him was love, and I would love him forever. As long as I get to see his smile every day, I feel I have been doing alright with repaying him. But it was more than just repaying him. I wanted him happy because that is what Edward deserves, and always will deserve.

As long as my children and my Edward were happy, I would be happy. They are all I need, and I have learned that nothing can take that away from me.

Nothing.

* * *

**This is the official end! Thanks to all of you once again! If you want to read more, I also have 'Whenever You Call' out that I will be working on next! I hope you check it out, and THANK YOU again. **

**Review please, it will be last time I ask! lol**

**Thanks to you all for the support,  
****~Monica**


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